Kay Coles James: Difference between revisions

On December 19, 2017, she was named president of [[The Heritage Foundation]], a conservative [[think tank]].<ref>{{cite web|date=December 19, 2017|author= McCaskill, Nolan|url= https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/19/heritage-new-president-kay-coles-james-304743|title= Heritage Foundation taps Kay Coles James to be next president|publisher= [[Politico]]|access-date=2017-12-December 19, 2017}}</ref> She is the first African-American and the first woman to hold that position.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Eugene|title=Powerful pro-Trump think tank names first black female president|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/12/20/powerful-pro-trump-think-tank-names-first-black-female-president/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=20 December 20, 2017}}</ref> On March 22, 2021, she announced she was resigning from the foundation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-washington-conservatives-idUSKBN2BE2ED|title=Kay James, prominent Black conservative voice, resigns from Heritage Foundation|date=2021-03-March 22, 2021|website=reuters.com|publisher=Reuters|access-date=2021-05-May 22, 2021}}</ref>

Coles James served on School Board for [[Fairfax County, Virginia]] and the [[Virginia]] Board of Education, and on the board of the conservative [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Focus on the Family]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/minutes/19931216r.pdf|title=FCPS Resolution commending Kay Coles James (PDF)|access-date=19 December 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007185349/http://fcps.edu/schlbd/minutes/19931216r.pdf|archive-date=October 7, 2010-10-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was senior vice president of the [[Family Research Council]], a conservative, [[Christian right]] group and lobbying organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-mission-role-history/agency-leadership/kay-james/|title=Kay James|website=U.S. Office of Personnel Management|access-date=February 3, 2017-02-03}}</ref> She has also served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for One to One Partnership, a national umbrella organization for mentoring programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mentoring.org/|title=MENTOR promotes, advocates and is a resource for mentoring}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2010}}

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|author-link= Paul Krugman}}</ref> [[Charlie Savage (author)|Charlie Savage]], a journalist with ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', wrote that previous to Coles James, "veteran civil servants screened applicants and recommended whom to hire, usually picking top students from elite schools." Noting that Regent University is ranked a "tier four" school by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'', the lowest score and essentially a tie for 136th place, Savage said Coles James' changes resulted in lawyers with more conservative credentials, less prior experience in civil rights law and the decline of the average ranking of the law school attended by the applicants.<ref name="BG">{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/08/scandal_puts_spotlight_on_christian_law_school/?page=full | title=Scandal puts spotlight on Christian law school| newspaper=Boston Globe | date= April 8, 2007| first=Charlie | last=Savage | access-date = April 8, 2007-04-08}}</ref> In addition to Savage, other journalists made similar comments.<ref name="Moyers">{{cite web

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|author-link= Bill Moyers}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 8, 2007 |author= Lithwick, Dahlia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601799.html |title= Justice's Holy Hires |newspaper= Washington Post |access-date=2007-11-November 29, 2007 |author-link= Dahlia Lithwick}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 9, 2007 |author= Cohen, Andrew |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/09/opinion/courtwatch/main2665402.shtml |title= The Gutting Of The Justice Department |publisher= [[CBS News]] |access-date=2007-11-November 29, 2007 |author-link= Andrew Cohen (legal analyst)}}</ref>

On November 4, 2009, Governor-elect [[Bob McDonnell]] of Virginia named her one of the co-chairs of his transition committee<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcdonnelltransition.com/news.php |title=Governor-Elect • Bob McDonnell Transition |access-date=November 6, 2009-11-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108033445/http://www.mcdonnelltransition.com/news.php |archive-date=November 8, 2009-11-08 }}</ref> and subsequently appointed her as a member of [[Virginia Commonwealth University|Virginia Commonwealth University's]] governing body, the Board of Visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2010/jul/17/vcus17-ar-317131/ |title=Governor names five to VCU's board of visitors &#124; Richmond Times-Dispatch |website=www2.timesdispatch.com |access-date=17 January 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721042438/http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-politics/2010/jul/17/vcus17-ar-317131/ |archive-date=21 July 21, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 2019, she was appointed to the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), which was set up by [[Google]] to advise on the ethical implications of [[Artificial Intelligence]].<ref>{{cite web |title=An external advisory council to help advance the responsible development of AI |url=https://www.blog.google/technology/ai/external-advisory-council-help-advance-responsible-development-ai/ |website=Google blogs |date=26 March 26, 2019 |access-date=1 April 1, 2019}}</ref> Her appointment proved controversial, with some employees of Google protesting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inside the Google employee backlash against the Heritage Foundation |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/1/18290341/google-heritage-foundation-ai-kay-coles-james |website=The Verge |date=April 2019 |access-date=1 April 1, 2019}}</ref> On April 5, 2019, it was reported that Google had disbanded the ATEAC after more than 2,380 employees at Google signed a petition asking that Coles James be removed from it. The petition signers stated that "Coles James' positions on transgender and immigrant rights should have disqualified her from weighing in on AI ethics."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/437505-google-disbands-ai-ethics-board-following-pushback|title=Google disbands AI ethics board following pushback|last=Birnbaum|first=Emily|date=April 4, 2019-04-04|website=TheHill|language=en|access-date=April 5, 2019-04-05}}</ref>

Coles James is the mother of three grown children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usoge.gov/pages/conference/cf_files/13th_2004_conf/13th_2004_handouts/13th_2004_james.html|title=U.S. Office of Government Ethics -|work=usoge.gov|access-date=2008-04-April 10, 2008|archive-date=2006-09-September 25, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925003041/http://www.usoge.gov/pages/conference/cf_files/13th_2004_conf/13th_2004_handouts/13th_2004_james.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her husband is [[Charles E. James, Sr.]], who was the deputy assistant secretary of the [[Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs]] from 2001 to 2009 during the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush administration]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linkedin.com/in/cejsr|title=www.linkedin/in/cejsr|access-date=15 March 15, 2018}}</ref>

In 2004, Coles James was elected as a fellow of the [[National Academy of Public Administration (United States)|National Academy of Public Administration.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Incorporated |first=Prime |title=National Academy of Public Administration |url=https://napawash.org/fellow/2426 |access-date=March 6, 2023-03-06 |website=National Academy of Public Administration |language=en}}</ref>

Coles James was named one of the [[Library of Virginia]]'s [[Virginia Women in History]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=Virginia Women in History 2018 Kay Coles James|url=https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/vawomen/2018/honoree.htm?bio=James|access-date=15 March 15, 2018|website=www.lva.virginia.gov| date=30 June 30, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kay Coles James|url=https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/changemakers/items/show/292|access-date=16 August 16, 2022}}</ref>

Coles James is the recipient of several honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Laws Degree from [[Pepperdine University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=649180&privcapId=294585|title=Kay Coles James: Executive Profile & Biography - Businessweek|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2016-07-July 16, 2016}}</ref> Coles James is the recipient the [[University of Virginia]]'s Publius Award for Public Service, and the Spirit of Democracy Award for Public Policy Leadership from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gloucesterinstitute.org/#!blank/n32dm|title=The Gloucester Institute|website=The Gloucester Institute|access-date=2016-07-July 16, 2016}}</ref>

|date=February 6, 2002 |author=Smith, Tammie

|archive-date=December 14, 2006 |title=Kay Coles James

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