Kay Coles James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kay Coles James
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 2022 – August 29, 2023 Acting: January 15, 2022 – March 2, 2022 |
|
| Governor | Glenn Youngkin |
| Preceded by | Kelly Thomasson |
| Succeeded by | Kelly Gee (acting) |
| President of The Heritage Foundation | |
| In office January 1, 2018 – December 1, 2021 |
|
| Preceded by | Edwin Feulner |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Roberts |
| Director of the Office of Personnel Management | |
| In office July 11, 2001 – January 31, 2005 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Dan Blair |
| Preceded by | Janice Lachance |
| Succeeded by | Linda M. Springer |
| 6th Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources | |
| In office January 15, 1994 – March 12, 1996 |
|
| Governor | George Allen |
| Preceded by | Howard Cullum |
| Succeeded by | Robert Metcalf |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Madeline Kay Coles
June 1, 1949 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Charles E. James Sr. |
| Education | Hampton University (BS) |
Kay Coles James (born June 1, 1949) is an American public official. She has held important roles in government and other organizations. From January 2022 to August 2023, she was the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before that, she worked for President George W. Bush as the director of the United States Office of Personnel Management from 2001 to 2005.
Kay Coles James also served as Virginia's secretary of health and human resources. She was the dean of Regent University's government school. She is the founder of the Gloucester Institute, which helps young African Americans develop leadership skills. In 2017, she became the president of The Heritage Foundation, a group that studies public policy. She was the first African-American and the first woman to lead this foundation. She left this role in 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kay Coles James grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She was the only girl in her family, with five brothers. Her father worked many different jobs, including as a guard and doing maintenance. When she was about four, her father left home. After that, her aunt and uncle raised her. Her aunt was a schoolteacher, and her uncle was a businessman. Her mother worked as a dental technician and cleaned houses to support her six children.
Kay Coles James went to Chandler Junior High School and John Marshall High School in Richmond. These schools were mostly attended by white students. She later graduated from Hampton University. There, she studied history and secondary education.
Career in Public Service
Kay Coles James has served on several important boards. These include the School Board for Fairfax County, Virginia and the Virginia Board of Education. She also served on the board of Focus on the Family, a Christian organization. She was a senior vice president at the Family Research Council, a group that works to influence public policy. She also helped lead One to One Partnership, an organization that supports mentoring programs.
President Ronald Reagan chose her to be a member of the National Commission on Children. This group advised on issues affecting children. President George H. W. Bush also reappointed her to this commission. Under President George H. W. Bush, she worked in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. She also served as an Assistant Secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In the mid-1990s, Kay Coles James was the dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University. She also helped organize the 1996 Republican National Convention. This is where Bob Dole was chosen as the Republican candidate for president.
Leading the Office of Personnel Management
From 2001 to 2005, Kay Coles James was the director of the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This was during the George W. Bush administration. The OPM is in charge of managing the federal government's workforce.
Some people, like journalist Charlie Savage, noted changes in how people were hired for government jobs during her time at OPM. Before her, experienced government workers usually chose top students from well-known schools. Savage said that after her changes, more lawyers with conservative backgrounds were hired. These new hires sometimes had less experience in civil rights law.
In 2009, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell of Virginia asked her to help lead his transition team. She was later appointed to the Board of Visitors for Virginia Commonwealth University.
Work at The Heritage Foundation
On December 19, 2017, The Heritage Foundation announced that Kay Coles James would be its new president. This foundation is a very important conservative research group in Washington, D.C.. She had been a member of their Board of Trustees since 2005.
In 2018, President Donald Trump nominated her to be part of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission. This group celebrated 100 years of women having the right to vote.
In March 2019, she was chosen to join a special council set up by Google. This council was called the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC). Its job was to give advice on the ethical issues related to Artificial Intelligence. However, some Google employees protested her appointment. On April 5, 2019, Google decided to end the ATEAC. This happened after over 2,380 Google employees signed a petition asking for Kay Coles James to be removed from the council. The petition stated that her views on certain social issues should have prevented her from advising on AI ethics.
Kay Coles James resigned from the Heritage Foundation in 2021.
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Kay Coles James later helped lead Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin's transition team. In January 2022, Governor Youngkin appointed her as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia. She left this position in August 2023. She took on a leadership role for Governor Youngkin's "Spirit of Virginia" PAC.
Personal Life
Kay Coles James is a mother of three adult children. Her husband is Charles E. James Sr.. He served as a deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs from 2001 to 2009. This was also during the George W. Bush administration.
Awards and Recognition
In 2004, Kay Coles James was chosen as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. This is a special honor for people who have done great work in public service.
In 2018, the Library of Virginia named her one of Virginia Women in History. She has also received several honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University. She has also received the Publius Award for Public Service from the University of Virginia. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation gave her the Spirit of Democracy Award for Public Policy Leadership.
