James Thomas, M.S.Ed. Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States

- Supervises four teams, composed of three staffing levels, focused on the sense of belonging, well-being, retention, and success of marginalized identified students- Oversees two mentorship initiatives, which focuses on the retention, success, and belonging of Mxn of Color and LGBTQIA+ students, while maintaining a retention rate of 92% and 98%, respectfully- Develops a curriculum for male identified and LGBTQIA+ students to explore and question meanings of masculinity/queerness through a collaboration with internal stakeholders- Advises programmatic offerings for the mentee cohorts, LGBTQIA+ community, and Mxn of Color community- Tracks the academic and financial status of over 650 past and present mentees via Excel- Recruits approximately 200 mentees and 50 staff & faculty mentors annually across 4 departmental identity-based mentorship programs, annually- Implements LGBTQIA+ initiatives and Safe Space Trainings for internal stakeholders - Facilitates, updates, and maintains the curriculum used in a monthly Safe Space Training, averaging 30 participants per workshop- Benchmarked & served on a Transgender & Gender Nonconforming taskforce committee, which resulted in creation and implementation of an Inclusive Name Change Process for all stakeholders- Advises identity-based groups with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ and QTIPOC populations - Directs departmental recruitment, selection, training, and experience for four levels of staffing using a lens of diversity and inclusion through talent acquisition- Manages the department’s assessment process for departmental targets’ experience and performance- Designs and promotes leadership and diversity education modules and training workshops for employees across all functions of the university

Chicago, Illinois, United States

- Launched an intentional connection plan to drive engagement of diverse, untapped communities, which resulted in a 23% increase in membership- Maintained relationships with various external stakeholders invested in better serving the Black Queer and Transgender community, which served as the impetus of community partners for Lighthouse Foundation, a Black Queer-led, multiracial social justice organization that advances justice for Black LGBTQ+ people across Chicagoland through empowerment, education, and entertainment- Worked alongside various coordinators and committees to ensure a diverse offering of programming through identity-based initiatives- Collaborated with the lead pastor on various initiatives of how to best serve the congregation of its predominantly African American LGBT- inclusive church- Created and streamlined a communication plan to reach current and potential members, utilizing various platforms, such as, social media, Breeze, and Mailchimp, resulting in a 47% increase in engagement

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Illinois, United States

- Advised and directed the activities and programs of the DePaul Activities Board (DAB); managed the DAB programming and operational budget of approximately $500,000- Guided students in setting the overall programmatic vision for DAB- Supervised, guided, and created identity conscious programming leadership development to 13 executive board members and committee coordinators, as well as over 50 general members, which lead to an increase in racial diversity of leadership and membership, 38% and 33% respectively - Conducted weekly advising meetings with organizational officers and provided overall guidance with the event planning and budgeting process for over 80 events annually, including major campus events such as FEST and Polarpalooza, large outdoor music festivals & indoor concerts- Advised the Blue Demon Week Student Committee in its inaugural year and served as the chairperson for the Blue Demon Week Steering Committee- Guided 40 students as they planned and executed the university’s homecoming week that served over 1,500, while also collaborating with various campus partners- Developed and executed additional campus programming initiatives, including DePaul After Dark and Big Pink Volleyball- Worked collaboratively with various internal and external stakeholders to plan a breast cancer awareness and fundraising initiative, Big Pink Volleyball in its inaugural year as a tournament- Supervised one graduate assistant and one graphic designer- Collaborated on various departmental, divisional, and university committees and projects

Chicago, Illinois, United States

- Selected, trained, supervised, and supported five teams of various levels through an identity conscious lens- Coordinated housing facility openings and closings for each year - Managed team’s programming schedule and budget - Advised the Resident Hall Association- Oversaw large and small scale programming to serve the greater community of customers- Partnered with internal stakeholders to launch new initiatives to increase customer & potential customer satisfaction and well-being, which showed an increase of approximately 40%- Worked with National Communications Coordinator (NCC) and delegates to plan and maintain participation in state, regional, and national conferences- Provided support for on-campus residents- Served as a crisis and conflict management professional for approximately 400 customers & employees- Served as departmental support to students while serving in the Professional Staff duty rotation - Performed wellness checks on students through use of crisis intervention and relationship development- Conducted individual conduct meetings with students, community inspections and follow up meetings - Coordinated the design and implementation of the first living learning community, which was focused on the recruitment and retention of womxn interested in STEM via creating new and innovative partnerships with campus various levels of internal and external stakeholders to strengthen the support, belonging, and retention of underrepresent customers

Bloomington, Indiana, United States

- Supervised a programming staff and facility by overseeing and managing budget pertaining to staff salaries, programming, and operations, while collaborating on programming and co-sponsorships to enhance customer experience and satisfaction, which lead to a 37% increase in attendance and 300% increase in partnerships with affinity-based groups.- Advised the Resident Hall Association’s NCC and institutional delegates in developing programs, proposals, and arrangements for upcoming state, regional, and national conferences, domestic & international- Co-advised and hosted the 2014 Indiana Residence Hall Organization (IRHO) Conference- Instructed the LEAD IU emerging leaders course IGNITE- Implemented a leadership driven curriculum for first year students - Trained and instructed 12 peer facilitators that assisted with the course- Increased the racial diversity of participants by 150% through strategic outreach and relationship building with various levels of internal stakeholders- Coordinated off-site retreats for participants- Facilitated leadership development workshops for various levels of institutional stakeholders

Chicago, Illinois, United States

- Co-facilitated undergraduate, graduate, and transfer student orientation for over 2,000 students - Supervised, trained, and mentored 22 Orientation Leaders - Evaluated all orientation programs for learning outcomes and general customer satisfaction- Co-lead the creation and implementation of the IIT Parents Network, as to increase engagement of an untapped customer demographic

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

- Counseled and participated in the Blazer Male Excellence Network and International Mentors, which served as resources to increase the retention of Black male (16% increase) and international students (32% increase), respectively- Serviced four internal stakeholders with the mission to spread cultural awareness and respect of differences among student populations- Coordinated and advised Greek social and service weeks, retreats, education sessions, and award ceremonies for the NPHC, MCGC, NPC, and IFC Greek councils- Oversaw and implemented leadership and service-based organizations, courses, award programs, and alternative trips- Managed multiple organizational budgets adding up to approximately $300,000

Master Of Science In Education - Msed, Higher Education/Higher Education Administration

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biology, General