Kishia Carrington James

Kishia Carrington James is a forward-thinking, impactful higher education leader serving as Vice President for Student Affairs at Jarvis Christian University. With more than 25 years of experience spanning K–12 and higher education, she is a dedicated educator, strategic innovator, and published author committed to advancing student success and strengthening institutional excellence.

In addition to her executive leadership, James serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at San Francisco State University, where she teaches and shapes the next generation of scholars and practitioners. She is the author of Turnaround Principals: Passionate Leaders Who Can Improve Low-Performing Schools, which underscores the importance of cultivating critical consciousness among educational leaders to drive sustainable transformation in underperforming schools. She has also contributed to the field through additional scholarly articles, both authored and co-authored.

A proud native of Durham, North Carolina, James earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Fayetteville State University. She also holds a Master of School Administration, a Master of Arts in School Counseling, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University.