Cemeré James is CLASP’s interim executive director, returning to the organization in January 2025 approximately 10 years after serving as the organization’s deputy director of the Work Support Strategies initiative. An executive leader and policy advisor with deep experience in non-profit leadership and advocacy, she has a lifelong commitment to improving early childhood development and educational outcomes for all children, with a focus on the well-being of children of color. Since 2022, Ms. James has served as the founder and CEO of James Borden Consulting, a consulting group that addresses institutional racism in partnership with public agencies, philanthropies, and non-profit organizations.

Ms. James earlier worked at the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) as the interim national director of movement building where she informed program planning across state office and integrated community organizing with long-term, community-driven policy change and direct service efforts, among other accomplishments. Prior to her senior role at CDF, she served as senior vice president of policy and then interim president and CEO at the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI). While there, her responsibilities and outcomes included overseeing fundraising and membership campaigns, revamping operations and human resources strategy, increasing the number of children served through the organization’s programs, and co-authoring “Black Child National Agenda: America Must Deliver on its Promise” with Equity Research Action Coalition at the University of North Carolina and Points of Access. Ms. James’ other achievements at NBCDI included developing and implementing strategies to influence and shape government policies and raise public awareness on issues that impact Black children’s education and overall health and well-being.

Before joining CLASP to manage the Work Support Strategies initiative, Ms. James was the lead operations specialist at the Illinois Department of Human Service and, from 2009-2011, an inaugural fellow in the Illinois Early Childhood Fellows Program (now called the Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellows program). Ms. James holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, a master of science degree in industrial engineering and management science from Northwestern University, and a bachelor of science degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering from Florida A&M University.