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James launched West Michigan TEAM in 2007 with assistance from Vice President Ashleigh Emmerson and support from key partners. He advances its mission by leading work that adapts a proven local, employer-driven workforce development model and successfully scales it to a regional network of sites.
James holds key experience in leading innovative approaches that identify, gather and share key employer/employee performance indicators. He plays a central role in achieving organizational goals by sharing how employers can use measurable data to impact employment advancement approaches.
He forwards this work by educating key local, state and federal government departments, as well as respective legislatures in an effort to inform and establish best practices.
Prior to starting West Michigan TEAM, James was Vice President of Human Resources for Grand Rapids-based Butterball Farms, Inc. In that role, he was involved in the creation of an innovative, corporate-sponsored workforce development intermediary called The SOURCE.
James has held numerous management positions in manufacturing and technology firms in West Michigan and around the world. He founded Gibraltar Consulting in 2005. Prior to that, he acquired extensive experience in the corporate sector.
In addition to human resources expertise, he possesses executive experience in the Information Technology sector. There, he gained national and international experience as Director of North American Operations and International Liaison to Asia-Pacific, where he managed business development and the launch of new offices in Asia and the United States. He also worked to integrate strategic acquisitions into the corporate structure.
James is very active in the Grand Rapids community, and currently works with several organizations on poverty reduction, re-entry and workforce development initiatives.
