Work Preference
Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Board Leadership
Executive Strengths
Professional Development
Timeline
Generic
Open To Work

Lori James

Director of Program Management
Seffner,FL

Work Preference

Desired Job Title

Director, Foundation ProgramsManager, Administration OperationsManager, Project Management OperationsChief Development OfficerOperations Manager

Work Type

Full TimeContract Work

Location Preference

On-SiteRemoteHybrid
Location: Seffner, FL
Open to relocation: No

Salary Range

95000/yr - 200000/yr

Important To Me

Company CultureHealthcare benefitsPersonal development programsTeam Building / Company Retreats

Summary

A career formed by two complementary disciplines: designing programs that widen opportunity and building the operating structure that allows them to last. Program management leader with 15+ years across international education, public education, healthcare collaboration, and nonprofit service, translating community needs into funded, measurable, and well-governed initiatives. Builds new programs, aligns stakeholders, and guides teams through shifting priorities with professional humility. Embraces cognitive empathy, problem solving, and stewardship to work that improves access, strengthens organizations, and helps people grow.

Overview

16
16
years of professional experience

Work History

Director, Foundation Programs

COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE (CIEE)
01.2024 - Current
  • Direct a $3.9M foundation programs portfolio delivering approximately 150 international scholarships and leadership development experiences across Europe and the United States.
  • Lead program design, participant recruitment and selection, on-program support, financial administration, impact reporting, proposal development, board-related coordination, and performance of domestic and international staff.
  • Expanded new partnerships by 20% by translating foundation priorities into workable programs, negotiating terms, and aligning government, university, donor, alumni, and internal stakeholders.
  • Launched an alumni engagement program with Romanian university partners, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina to reconnect former participants through events and administrative exchange opportunities.
  • Designed a one-month professional development exchange with a Hungarian foundation and U.S. university partners, immersing participants in American academic, cultural, and leadership environments.
  • Developed a six-month postgraduate exchange with Albanian government partners and led the evaluation of 50 candidates representing education, technology, and other professional disciplines.
  • Established a residency initiative involving the U.S. House of Representatives and Baltic stakeholders to bolster diplomatic relationships, civic exchange, and long-term institutional collaboration.
  • Manage portfolio budgets, financial reporting, invoices, grant applications, compliance requirements, and impact communications while adapting delivery around changing participant, partner, and client needs.

Manager, Administration Operations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tampa, USA
01.2022 - 01.2023
  • Led administrative operations for a large district division, overseeing personnel, budgets, vendor relationships, organizational planning, policy implementation, and team development.
  • Led the 1st complete restructuring of a 2,100-person division in 22 years, modernizing the organizational model and clarifying responsibilities, workflows, and accountability.
  • Led a 20-member administrative team and introduced dedicated training programs that increased productivity 20% while strengthening steadiness across daily operations.
  • Managed a $500K operating budget and negotiated vendor agreements that reduced essential supply costs 10% without impairing service continuity or quality.
  • Conducted more than 180 employee performance evaluations, connecting individual expectations with company standards for customer service, policy compliance, and career development.
  • Directed strategic planning workgroups responsible for defining departmental priorities, implementation requirements, and measurable goals across a complex public education environment.
  • Served as primary grant writer for a competitive $12.5M award supporting a critical districtwide literacy initiative.

Manager, Project Management Operations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tampa, USA
01.2020 - 01.2022
  • Created and led an operational effectiveness function responsible for cross-departmental projects, resource optimization, executive reporting, information management, and service delivery improvement.
  • Established the district's operational capability unit to improve the allocation of funding, personnel, and resources across academic and administrative functions.
  • Pioneered the 'One District' operating model, aligning processes across more than 20 academic and operational departments to improve coordination and enterprise-level decision-making.
  • Architected a centralized information management system that standardized project data, improved access to support services, and reduced duplication of effort 65%.
  • Produced actionable C-suite briefings on school performance changes and helped establish a district objective to reduce chronic absenteeism by 5% within 18 months.

Chief Development Officer

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
Tampa, USA
01.2018 - 01.2019
  • Advanced through three leadership roles spanning community health programming, cross-sector partnerships, organizational operations, resource development, volunteer engagement, and stakeholder communications.
  • Developed and executed a strategic business plan that increased sponsorship revenue 60%, philanthropic support 35%, and organizational membership 22%.
  • Expanded individual giving 42% using structured donor stewardship, targeted outreach, and development of a wider and increasingly sustainable contributor pipeline.
  • Forged more than 45 partnerships with educational organizations, nonprofit organizations, and health service providers to expand community health programs, expertise, and participant resources.
  • Designed a new operating architecture and delivered more than 110 training seminars, increasing productivity 15%, employee communication 22%, and satisfaction by 30 points.
  • Grew the volunteer base 60% and executed major community conferences attracting more than 2,000 attendees and generating over $100K in annual sponsorship support.

Operations Manager

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
Tampa, USA
01.2017 - 01.2018
  • Produced SOPs to document workplace procedures and optimize productivity through standardization.
  • Aided senior leadership during executive decision-making process by generating daily reports to recommend corrective actions and improvements.
  • Identified areas of deficiency and performed root-cause analysis to solve problems.
  • Directed day-to-day operations by spearheading implementation of short-term and long-term strategies to achieve business plan and goals.
  • Presented performance and productivity reports to supervisors.

Partnership & Collaboration Manager

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
Tampa, USA
01.2015 - 01.2017
  • Oversaw marketing initiatives, increasing brand awareness.
  • Implemented process improvements, resulting in an increase in operational efficiency.
  • Oversaw daily operations, maintaining efficiency and quality standards.
  • Recruited and hired qualified candidates to fill open positions.
  • Developed and implemented strategic plans to achieve company objectives.
  • Negotiated contracts and agreements with vendors and suppliers to reduce costs.

Leadership Development Coordinator

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tampa, USA
01.2011 - 01.2014
  • Designed and delivered professional growth initiatives that strengthened leadership capacity among emerging administrators, teachers, and district personnel.
  • Produced 240 hours of leadership development curriculum preparing emerging principals and administrators to manage people, improve schools, and steer complex district priorities.
  • Led professional learning programs for more than 500 teachers and staff, strengthening instructional knowledge, leadership readiness, and partnership across multiple disciplines.

Education

Juris Doctor -

Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminal Justice

University of South Florida
Tampa, FL

Skills

  • Program Strategy & Development
  • Portfolio & Program Management
  • Community Impact Initiatives
  • Cross-Sector Partnerships
  • Operational Planning & Governance
  • Budget & Financial Administration
  • Funded Program Administration
  • Impact Measurement & Reporting
  • SOP & Process Development
  • Organizational Design & Change
  • Team Development & Coaching
  • Stakeholder Alignment & Facilitation
  • Donor management
  • Change management
  • Organizational development
  • Fundraising events

Board Leadership

  • Friends of the Children, Tampa Bay, Board of Directors
  • Seed Change Collective, Board of Directors

Executive Strengths

  • Program Strategy & Development
  • Portfolio & Program Management
  • Community Impact Initiatives
  • Cross-Sector Partnerships
  • Operational Planning & Governance
  • Budget & Financial Administration
  • Funded Program Administration
  • Impact Measurement & Reporting
  • SOP & Process Development
  • Organizational Design & Change
  • Team Development & Coaching
  • Stakeholder Alignment & Facilitation

Professional Development

  • Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Nonprofit Leadership Center, Fund Development Series

Timeline

Director, Foundation Programs

COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE (CIEE)
01.2024 - Current

Manager, Administration Operations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
01.2022 - 01.2023

Manager, Project Management Operations

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
01.2020 - 01.2022

Chief Development Officer

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
01.2018 - 01.2019

Operations Manager

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
01.2017 - 01.2018

Partnership & Collaboration Manager

TAMPA BAY HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE
01.2015 - 01.2017

Leadership Development Coordinator

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
01.2011 - 01.2014

Juris Doctor -

Florida State University

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminal Justice

University of South Florida

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Lori JamesDirector of Program Management