Originally from Connecticut in the United States, James attended the United States Naval Academy where he served in various leadership positions. He graduated in May 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering and was granted permission to attend graduate school. A strong technical background led James to pursue a Master's in Energy Systems at the University of Oxford, which will be completed in autumn, 2023.

Over the past year James has realised that many of the technical problems involved in decarbonisation and the energy transition have been solved for decades, and that change is really born from politics and economics. His first efforts to work on this problem led him to submit an article to the professional journal of the US Navy urging the community to adopt evaluation criteria that aligns with strategic goals. After completion of the MPP James will serve as submarine officer where he will continue to think about how to make the world safe for future generations.

James is a US Navy Scholar.