She serves as the agency’s lead educator on a variety of issues that affect older adults, individuals with disabilities, and care givers. Ms. James also serves as a Lead Trainer and Program Manager for M4A’s Dementia Friendly Law Enforcement and First Responder Training Program.

In this role, she educates first responders on how to become dementia knowledgeable, sensitive, and responsive. She also educates them on issues caregivers face when caring for a love done with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Ms. James served over ten years as the State Director for several aging programs with the Alabama Department of Senior Services. She served as the State Liaison for Alabama’s statewide Elder Justice Council where she coordinated 35agencies and organizations to develop new initiatives, laws, and public policy to protect seniors from elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. She led the effort to create Alabama’s Elder Abuse Protection Toolkit for seniors and caregivers which was replicated in various states.

Ms. James was the Founder and State Director of California’s Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF) Program. The SAIF program was chosen as a national model and has been replicated in several other states. Ms. James was appointed as the National Chairperson to assist all 66 state securities regulators with their senior fraud prevention initiatives. Ms. James has dedicated her career as a public servant advocating for older adults and has served on multiple local, state, and national coalitions. Her passion to advocate and protect older adults, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers has gained her a reputation as one of the leaders in her field. Most recently, Ms. James was nominated as Shelby County Public Servant of the Year. She also received the honorary award as one of Alabama’s Top 50 over 50 Award in the class of 2018.Ms. James holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a freelance writer for the Shelby County Reporter.