Bio
Born and educated in India, John James came to New York in 1989 taking a job as a cashier at a drugstore in Queens. After passing a civil service exam, Mr. James began his career in NYC government at HRA in 1993. Twenty seven years and many promotions later, Mr. James now oversees a team of 12 staff members, who essentially act as lawyers for the agency and the City in Fair Hearing cases. These cases, which are presided over by 25 New York State judges, are the last opportunity for HRA clients to challenge previous rulings that changed the public benefits they received. Improving the process of Fair Hearings and eliminating any chance of clients erroneously losing benefits is a trademark of Mr. James’ career. As one colleague said, “For John James, it is not about being right, but getting it right.” Sandy Bryant, Executive Director of the Fair Hearing Administration reflects, “John James is fearless, fair and a flexible worker who shows great initiative. There is no job within our agency he won’t do. Even though he is one of my staff members, I would gladly work for him and follow his leadership any time.”
