James worked at ECONorthwest in 2019 to implement promising solutions to housing affordability and learn about managing local economic growth. Before starting his graduate studies, James was a steward of public funds at Federal Aviation Administration working to balance political and financial interests related to drone registration and international aviation fees. He left a career in federal civil service to pursue solutions for alleviating urban inequality. Previously, James spent a year assisting the growth of a campus ministry at Georgetown University. His interest in urban economic development is rooted in the years he spent in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon. James has studied abroad in Beijing and is fluent in Korean.