James is an award-winning economic development professional with more than a decade of experience specializing in investment attraction and business retention and expansion. He has built a strong track record supporting both domestic and international corporations through site selection, business development, workforce planning, and customized aftercare services.

Throughout his career, James has held roles with the City of Vaughan, the County of Simcoe, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (now Toronto Global), and the Southeastern Aurora Development Corporation. In these positions, he has worked closely with public and private sector stakeholders to facilitate strategic growth initiatives and long-term investment success.

James holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Public Policy) from the University of Waterloo and has been a Certified Economic Developer (Ec.D.) through the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) since 2017.