James Davis Tomlinson is a native of Wilkes County, N.C., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Tomlinson received undergraduate degrees in botany and horticulture from NC State University in Raleigh. He received a Master of Science in Horticulture degree from NC State University in 1984. He served as Director of Landscape Services for the Bald Head Island Development Corp. in Southport, N.C., and went on to become CEO and Director of Golf Course Construction and management for Golf Fore Inc. In 1994, he received a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from NC State University.

Tomlinson is the Assistant Dean for Research and Engagement for College of Design at NC State University. The focus of much of the research effort is to create an information rich context for decision making in planning for the future growth of development in North Carolina. Additional research lies in Advanced Computer Imaging and Simulation in Design. This research project uses three-dimensional modeling and visualization to display highly complex information concerning regional planning. Some of the technological focus is the use of immersive virtual reality for creating highly interactive collaborative computer generated environments.