Kay Coles James
Encyclopedia
Kay Coles James is the President and Founder of the Gloucester Institute, a leadership training center for young African Americans. She was the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management. She was nominated by George W. Bush
in 2001 and left in 2005. Previous to the OPM appointment, she served as Virginia
Secretary
of Health and Human Resources under then-Governor George Allen
and was the dean
of Regent University
's government school. She is currently a member of the NASA Advisory Council.
, James is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, most recently the Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University
. James is the recipient the University of Virginia
's Publius Award for Public Service, and the Spirit of Democracy Award for Public Policy Leadership from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
As 1994 graduation speaker at Hampton University
, her alma mater
, James said, using the incurable disease as a metaphor for widespread social ills,
, the conservative, Christian right
group and lobbying organization.. She has also served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for One to One Partnership, a national umbrella organization for mentoring programs. She served under President George H. W. Bush
as Associate Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as Assistant Secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan
and reappointed by President George H. W. Bush as member of the National Commission on Children, an advisory body on children issues. James has served on the Fairfax County School Board and the Virginia
Board of Education, and on the board of the conservative evangelical
Focus on the Family
. In the mid-1990s, James served as Dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University
in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
administration.
Paul Krugman
, a liberal
New York Times opinion columnist, noting that Regent University boasts of 150 graduates working in the Bush administration, criticized James' tenure as the federal government’s chief personnel officer when many of these hires occurred. Boston Globe, journalist Charlie Savage
wrote that previous to James' work as director of OPM, "veteran civil servants screened applicants and recommended whom to hire, usually picking top students from elite schools." Noting that Regent University is ranked a "tier four" school by US News & World Report, the lowest score and essentially a tie for 136th place, Savage said James' changes resulted in lawyers with more conservative credentials, less prior experience in civil rights law and the decline of the average ranking of the law school attended by the applicants. In addition to Savage, other liberal commentators made similar assertions.
and a $350,000 base salary
. James left MZM after two months when controversy between MZM leadership and a former Congressman was uncovered
. Athena Innovative Solutions Inc., the successor to MZM, sued James for roughly $84,000 that it contended was due them from her signing bonus. The two settled out of court.
James is President and Founder of The Gloucester Institute, an organization that trains and nurtures leaders in the African American community.
She is currently a member of the board of trustees for the Heritage Foundation
, an influential conservative Washington, D.C.
-based public policy research institute.
On November 4, 2009 the then Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell
of Virginia named her one of the Co-Chairs of his transition committee and subsequently appointed her as a member of Virginia Commonwealth University's
governing body, the Board of Visitors.
and the mother of three grown children.
In a 1994 interview, James said she expected to use her visibility as a "bully pulpit to change the culture."
In 2003, James was named the 2003 Distinguished Christian Statesman, describing her as a Christian statesman who "makes it clear that the only way to transform any culture is from the inside out and that 'the children of God will be called upon to lead the way.'" The award came from the conservative televangelist D. James Kennedy's Center for Christian Statemanship which states that "America needs Christian Statesmen. This is our best and brightest hope."
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2001 and left in 2005. Previous to the OPM appointment, she served as Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of Health and Human Resources under then-Governor George Allen
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
and was the dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
's government school. She is currently a member of the NASA Advisory Council.
Education
A graduate of Hampton UniversityHampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
, James is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, most recently the Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
. James is the recipient the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
's Publius Award for Public Service, and the Spirit of Democracy Award for Public Policy Leadership from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
As 1994 graduation speaker at Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
, her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, James said, using the incurable disease as a metaphor for widespread social ills,
Early career
James was Senior Vice President of the Family Research CouncilFamily Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, the conservative, Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
group and lobbying organization.. She has also served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for One to One Partnership, a national umbrella organization for mentoring programs. She served under President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
as Associate Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as Assistant Secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and reappointed by President George H. W. Bush as member of the National Commission on Children, an advisory body on children issues. James has served on the Fairfax County School Board and the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Board of Education, and on the board of the conservative evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
. In the mid-1990s, James served as Dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University
Regent University
Regent University is a private coeducational interdenominational Christian university located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. The school was founded by the American televangelist Pat Robertson in 1978 as Christian Broadcasting Network University. A satellite campus located in...
in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Office of Personnel Management
James served as the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management from 2001 to 2005 in the George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration.
Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman
Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
, a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
New York Times opinion columnist, noting that Regent University boasts of 150 graduates working in the Bush administration, criticized James' tenure as the federal government’s chief personnel officer when many of these hires occurred. Boston Globe, journalist Charlie Savage
Charlie Savage
Charlie Savage is a newspaper reporter in Washington, D.C., with the New York Times, which he joined in May 2008. In 2007, when employed by the Boston Globe, he was the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting on the issue of Presidential Signing Statements, specifically the use...
wrote that previous to James' work as director of OPM, "veteran civil servants screened applicants and recommended whom to hire, usually picking top students from elite schools." Noting that Regent University is ranked a "tier four" school by US News & World Report, the lowest score and essentially a tie for 136th place, Savage said James' changes resulted in lawyers with more conservative credentials, less prior experience in civil rights law and the decline of the average ranking of the law school attended by the applicants. In addition to Savage, other liberal commentators made similar assertions.
Later career
Subsequent to her OPM position, James accepted employment with MZM, a defense contractor. James' reported compensation from MZM included a $150,000 signing bonusSigning bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
and a $350,000 base salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
. James left MZM after two months when controversy between MZM leadership and a former Congressman was uncovered
Cunningham Scandal
The Cunningham scandal is a U.S. political scandal in which defense contractors paid bribes to members of Congress and officials in the U.S. Defense Department, in return for political favors in the form of federal contracts. Most notable amongst the recipients of the bribes was California...
. Athena Innovative Solutions Inc., the successor to MZM, sued James for roughly $84,000 that it contended was due them from her signing bonus. The two settled out of court.
James is President and Founder of The Gloucester Institute, an organization that trains and nurtures leaders in the African American community.
She is currently a member of the board of trustees for the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
, an influential conservative Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based public policy research institute.
On November 4, 2009 the then Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell
Bob McDonnell
Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...
of Virginia named her one of the Co-Chairs of his transition committee and subsequently appointed her as a member of Virginia Commonwealth University's
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
governing body, the Board of Visitors.
Personal information
James is the wife of Charles E. JamesCharles E. James, Sr.
Charles E. James, Sr. was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs from 2001 to 2009 during the administration of George W. Bush.-References:...
and the mother of three grown children.
In a 1994 interview, James said she expected to use her visibility as a "bully pulpit to change the culture."
In 2003, James was named the 2003 Distinguished Christian Statesman, describing her as a Christian statesman who "makes it clear that the only way to transform any culture is from the inside out and that 'the children of God will be called upon to lead the way.'" The award came from the conservative televangelist D. James Kennedy's Center for Christian Statemanship which states that "America needs Christian Statesmen. This is our best and brightest hope."
Books
- Never Forget, Transforming America: From the Inside Out (1995); and What I Wish I'd Known Before I Got Married (2001).
- Kay James (coauthor Jacquelline Cobb Fuller), ZondervanZondervanZondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
(April 1995) ISBN 0310496314. - Transforming America: From the Inside Out. (coauthor David Kuo) Zondervan (June 1995) ISBN 0310484405 .
- What I Wish I'd Known Before I Got Married, Multnomah Publishers (October 13, 2001) ISBN 1576737810.
External links
- Kay Cole James Gloucester Institute Biography