He served in various legal and executive capacities with the Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press, the American Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Knight Foundation.

[2][3] In 1968, he graduated with high honors from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in political science.

[5] In 1975, Spaniolo joined the law firm of Paul and Thomson in Miami, Florida as an attorney where he handed a variety of cases.

From 1985 to 1989 Spaniolo was vice president for human resources and assistant to the publisher for The Detroit Free Press.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce STAR Award, annual recognition of a community leader (2012), Sally Kallam Award for support of Leadership Arlington and growth of leaders in the community (2010), Silver Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America for service to the Arlington community (2009), Scoffes Award to the MSU faculty member who demonstrated a sustained commitment to the academic success of the MSU Football program (2001), board of directors, Miami Donors Forum, vice chairman, Legal Affairs Committee, ANPA and member of join task force on press/bar relations with the American Bar Association, lecturer, Annual Communications Law Seminar, The Practicing Law Institute, New York, Commencement speaker, College of Communications, University of Miami, Member, Michigan Governor's Commission on Higher Education, chairperson, advisory board, Detroit Public Education Fund, James D. Spaniolo First Generation Scholarship[12]