Kay Coles James

Kay Coles James
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
In office January 15, 2022 – August 29, 2023 Acting: January 15, 2022 – March 2, 2022
Governor	Glenn Youngkin
Preceded by	Kelly Thomasson
Succeeded by	Kelly Gee (acting)
President of The Heritage Foundation
In office January 1, 2018 – December 1, 2021
Preceded by	Edwin Feulner
Succeeded by	Kevin Roberts
Director of the Office of Personnel Management
In office July 11, 2001 – January 31, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Deputy	Dan Blair
Preceded by	Janice Lachance
Succeeded by	Linda M. Springer
6th Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources
In office January 15, 1994 – March 12, 1996
Governor	George Allen
Preceded by	Howard Cullum
Succeeded by	Robert Metcalf
Personal details
Born	Madeline Kay Coles (1949-06-01) June 1, 1949 (age 74) Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Charles E. James Sr.
Education	Hampton University (BS)

Kay Coles James (born June 1, 1949) is an American public official who served as secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from January 2022 to August 2023, and as the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005.^[1] Previous to the OPM appointment, she served as Virginia secretary of health and human resources under then-Governor George Allen and was the dean of Regent University's government school. She is the president and founder of the Gloucester Institute, a leadership training center for young African Americans.

On December 19, 2017, she was named president of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.^[2] She is the first African-American and the first woman to hold that position.^[3] On March 22, 2021, she announced she was resigning from the foundation.^[4]