Chris James has served as the President and CEO of the National Center for American Indian
Enterprise Development since January of 2017. He is responsible for guiding the organization in its
day-to-day operations and implementing its longterm strategic initiatives and vision. Prior to joining
the National Center, Chris was an Associate Administrator at the U.S Small Business Administration
(SBA), worked in Native American Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and managed the
Sequoyah Fund – an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
From 2011 – 2016, Chris served as Associate Administrator at SBA, where he was a Senior
Executive Service (SES) appointee of President Barack Obama overseeing both the Office of Field
Operations, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Office of Native American Affairs. His
extensive portfolio included Native American outreach, program management, and tribal
consultation.