James Brent, Jr.

James Brent, Jr. is Secretary of the Board, chair of the Governance Committee, and member of the Performance and Compensation Committee. He has been a member of the Board since 2019. 

During his long tenure with the federal government, James served as Chief Operating Officer, and previously as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Enterprise Officer for Rural Development at USDA. Prior to his assignment with Rural Development, James served in various positions at USDA, including as Deputy Director of Operations and Director of the Diversity, Recruitment & Work-Life Division.

James graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management.