Jim Joiner has served as Mayor of Jefferson since 2001. He is a former Jefferson City Council member. He is retired from State Farm Insurance after 24 years. Prior to that Mayor Joiner worked in the textile industry.

He was born in Sylacauga, Alabama and graduated from Auburn University where he earned a degree in Textile Engineering. He is a member and deacon at the First Baptist Church in Jefferson. Mayor Joiner is the past President of District 5 of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and also has served on the GMA Board of Directors. He is on the Board of Directors of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Northeast Georgia RDC.  He has also served on the Jackson County Boys & Girls Club Board.  Mayor Joiner is past president of the Jefferson Rotary Club, and the Jefferson Lions Club . He is a former member of the Jefferson Industrial Development Authority and serves on the Jefferson Downtown Development Authority.

2006 is the Bicentennial for the City of Jefferson and coincides with the beginning of Mayor Joiner's second term in office.

Mayor Joiner enjoys golf, woodworking and boating. He and wife Ruth have two children, Kelli and Jay.