Jim Ewbank | Austin, TX & Chama, NM

Jim has been connected to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad for more than three decades, sharing the experience with friends and family and serving as a Friends docent. Jim has extensive professional experience as a civil trial lawyer—practicing from 1980 to 2018 and later managing partner of his firm—along with service as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law and outside general counsel to many mid-sized businesses. Jim and his family have owned and operated several small businesses in New Mexico and Texas, including commercial real estate, marinas, RV parks and storage units. He is currently on the Executive Committee of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.

Deeply rooted in the Chama community through family and longtime ranch ownership, Jim is married to Senior Judge Orlinda Naranjo, a Rio Arriba County native, and together they have two daughters and two granddaughters. Since 1995, they have owned and operated ranch properties in the region. Jim also serves as president of the Naranjo Ewbank Family Foundation, which supports local and regional nonprofits such as the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec, the Chama Valley Arts Society, the Chama Peak Land Alliance, and several educational, cultural, and community service programs. Jim’s long-standing commitment to the railroad, the community, and philanthropic service makes him a valuable member of the Friends’ Board.