James Miles

James Miles worked as an educator in the New York City public schools for almost 20 years prior to moving to Seattle in 2016. In September 2023, James was hired as the Creative Economy Manager at the Office of Economic Development and is excited to uplift and empower the cultural fabric of this region. An Assistant Professor at Seattle University, James was most recently the Executive Director of Third Stone, the non profit that helped relaunch the beloved Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival in Seattle. James previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of MENTOR Washington and the Executive Director of Arts Corps, prior to that.

Originally from Chicago, Miles has worked internationally as an artist and educator, and his work has been featured in magazines, books, on podcasts, in newspapers. A former accountant, model, actor, and adjunct professor at NYU, Miles has facilitated workshops and designed curriculum for organizations around the world. Miles is on the advisory board of SXSW EDU, and his acclaimed TedXTalk focuses on his mission is to narrow achievement gaps using the “arts as a tool to navigate the systems of educational inequity.” Learn more about James at www.freshprofessor.com.