James Lyerla is from St. Louis, Missouri. He earned his B.S. in Information Technology and Minor in Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Columbia. James started his journey in collegiate recreation in 2019 working at Mizzou’s high ropes course, Venture Out. He earned the position of Lead Facilitator in 2023 and began managing the program’s website and staff scheduling as well as assisting in staff training. His goal is to combine the worlds of technology and recreation. In 2024 he received MizzouRec’s Kelly Needham Journey Award for embracing his Journey at MizzouRec and understanding the experience is more than just a job. In his free time he enjoys running, biking, rock climbing, learning languages, and playing music.