In addition to his role as a trustee of Howard Community College, Jim Truby serves as a member of the Baltimore-Washington International Airport Development Council and Leadership Howard County.  He is the founding principal of Synthesis Incorporated, a Howard County-based real estate consulting firm that specializes in managing the development of a wide range of institutional facilities.  Mr. Truby received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.A. in Social Anthropology from American University.  He currently serves as chair of the HCC board. 

An active community member, Mr. Truby currently serves as secretary and member of the board of the Horizon Foundation.  He has also served on the Board of Directors for Winter Growth, Inc., which provides assisted living facilities located in Howard and Montgomery Counties, and was Chairman of its Development Committee.  He was a member of the Howard County Adequate Public Facilities Commission.  Mr. Truby also served on the Initiating Committee of Vision Howard County and chaired its Environmental and Historic Preservation Task Force.  Additionally, Mr. Truby served as President of the Howard County Economic Forum; Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies; Treasurer of the Maryland Chapter, National Association of Industrial and Office Parks; and was also a member of the Maryland State Board of Airport Zoning Appeals.

Jim Truby and his family have been residents of Howard County since 1970.