James McCafferty is Director of Western's Center for Economic and Business Research.  In this role he seeks to broaden the connections between the University, the College of Business and Economics and the real world – businesses, non-profits, tribal communities and government agencies – through student internships, classroom based projects and consultative projects drawing on faculty, staff and students.

James brings a unique perspective and critical tools to problems faced by organizations today based on professional and community service experience at local, regional, and national levels. He blends the best approaches from the for-profit, non-profit, government, and individual sectors to create unique blended responses that are effective, efficient, and practical while also maintaining long-term sustainability.

James’ core skill areas include: research, financial modeling, business development, branding/identity, marketing, finance, tax and legal issues (from a lay perspective), operations, growth management, and strategic partnering.

James has an MBA from Western Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Oregon, is a Certified Global Business Professional, serves as an Officer for the Seattle Economics Council and is a past board member of the Association of University Business and Economic Research.