As Director of Operations for the Ventures team, James Lukens leads a team of individuals dedicated to making new ideas a reality both within Gary and the broader community. With a focus on maximizing efficiencies and building strong organizational culture, James is responsible for designing and managing operations for the  new ventures launched by Gary. He has led both the Build with Families and My Spark projects in his time at Gary. With a strong passion for improving educational opportunities for Colorado’s Children, James is often exploring new ideas to test and potentially scale.

James holds a Bachelor’s degree in international and area studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s degree in education from Chestnut Hill College, and a Master’s degree in epidemiology from Tulane University. James began his career as a Teach for America corps member and special educator in Philadelphia. After moving to New Orleans, he spent the following 10 years serving as Executive Director of Opportunities Academy, Senior Director of Special Education, Founding Assistant Principal, and 9th grade Algebra/World Geography Teacher at Collegiate Academies, a New Orleans/Baton Rouge-based charter management organization.

In his free time, James enjoys snowboarding, searching Star Alliance and OneWorld award availability, and spending time with his family.