About

James Gilmore, Jr., is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Southern University.

After Southern University, James attended Louisiana State University and earned a master's in public administration and doctor of philosophy in human resources development. In 2005, James was selected as a Fannie Mae Fellow and attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program to expand his knowledge in the area of community leadership and development.

James co-authored and published two peer reviewed journal articles entitled Environmental Leadership Development: A Framework for Designing and Evaluating a Training Program which was published in the European Journal of Social Sciences and Developing Social Entrepreneurs for Developing Pan-African Nations which was published in the Business Renaissance Quarterly.

Upon completion of his masters degree, James was hired by United States Gypsum Corporation as a Human Resources Supervisor and was later promoted to Human Resources Manager. In both positions, James managed recruiting and hiring, workforce training and development, safety, and employee relations.

In 2003, James joined Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco’s administration as a Policy Advisor on Social Services, Housing, and Community Development. His job activities included researching, analyzing, and advising in the areas of temporary assistance to needy families, childcare, foster care, affordable housing, and strategies to reducing poverty.

In 2006, James was appointed Vice-President of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency. While there, James assisted the Agency's President in formulating and implementing single-family and multifamily housing policies and programs to help Louisiana increase its supply of safe, decent and affordable housing. He was also responsible for providing workforce leadership and training, assisted with the direction of the Agency's financial, administrative and business affairs, managing its $12 million operating budget, $2 billion combined Mortgage Revenue Bond portfolio, including Community Development Block Grant, HOME funds and Housing Trust Fund.

James is member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, East Baton Rouge Planning and Zoning Commission, Baton Rouge Metro Airport Commission, Louisiana Center for Health Equity, and Louisiana State University College of Human Sciences Peabody Society Board of Directors. He is also a founding member of the Mentorship Digital Media Academy and the Mentorship Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Academy.

James is the President of The Bayard Management Group, a workforce training, strategic planning and development, and human resource development and management firm headquartered in Louisiana. The firm specializes in disaster planning, community planning and development, leadership development, staffing, program evaluation, and project management.