Donald G. James
Project Management/Education
1 class completed
Biography
Donald Gregory James is an executive leader, a manager, a facilitator, a communicator, a mentor and author. He is also a son, brother, husband, father and friend. Donald began his 35-year NASA career as a Presidential Management Intern. He served in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility and complexity, including Public Affairs, Government & Community Relations and Education. Donald James’ journey of public service would take him from being an intern to the senior executive service and member of NASA’s senior leadership team. Career highlights include: Serving as Education Director from 1999 to 2006 at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Leading the record-setting Open House at Ames attracting over a quarter of million visitors in one day. In early 2006, James drafted the first project plan for NASA’s Orion crew spacecraft at the Johnson Space Center. Later that year, James was named Project Manager for NASA’s (successful) bid to host the International Space University’s 2009 Summer Session Program (ISU-SSP), attracting an ISU SSP record 136 students from over 33 nations, involving over 15 corporate and non-profit partners. In August of 2014, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden selected James to serve as the Agency’s Associate Administrator for Education where he led an enterprise comprised of 75 civil servants and over 250 contractors organized to strengthen NASA and the Nation’s future workforce. Under James’ leadership, NASA learner and educator engagement reached over a million people a year. James holds a BA in International Relations from USC. He was awarded a three-year graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation to pursue his MA in International Economic Development from the American University. James also studied economics and history at Cambridge University and attended Harvard’s Senior Executive Fellows program. He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations for exemplary service. James is the author of “Manners Will Take You Where Brains and Money Won’t: Wisdom from Momma and 35 Years at NASA”. The book merges lessons he learned while at NASA with the timeless wisdom from his mother to help students and early-career professionals navigate their future and to help parents consider manners as a vital skill to teach their children their own success. James has given numerous talks about his NASA career to students and parents.
Education
BA International Relations, University of Southern California MA Economic Development, American University Certificate: Cambridge University, UK, Economics and British History Certificate: Harvard University; Senior Executive Fellows Program Over 500 hours of executive training
Classes by Donald G. James
- Manners Matter: How to Use Manners to Raise Incredible Kids · On-Demand Class · Supporting development