Leadership & Facilitation Expert

Adèle James, M.A., CPC, is a senior training, facilitation, and leadership development consultant with more than 20 years of experience supporting local governments, public agencies, foundations, and nonprofits across California. She is Founder and Principal of Adèle James Consulting Inc., a practice focused on governance and leadership capacity building, community engagement, and organizational effectiveness, with an equity centered and culturally responsive lens.

Adèle has extensive experience working with councils, boards, and executive teams on leadership alignment, communication, navigating high stakes situations, and civility. She designs and facilitates retreats, workshops, and multisession leadership programs that help elected officials and senior staff clarify roles and responsibilities, strengthen working relationships, and improve decision-making and accountability to community. Her approach emphasizes practical tools, thoughtful dialogue, and adult learning methods that support real time practice and application.

In addition to her consulting practice, Adèle serves as a facilitator for the Interpersonal Dynamics course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she supports leaders in building emotional intelligence, feedback skills, and the capacity to work effectively with colleagues, constituents, and stakeholders. She has also served as adjunct faculty in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of San Francisco and as faculty for the California State Association of Counties’ Institute for Excellence in County Governments.

Adèle brings complementary experience from philanthropy and systems level work. As a former Program Officer with The California Endowment and The Women’s Foundation of California, and in related roles with The San Francisco Foundation and statewide Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention initiative, she managed and oversaw investments totaling more than $180 million dollars. That experience strengthened her ability to align public, nonprofit, and community stakeholders around shared goals and practical implementation strategies.

Adèle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University’s Barnard College and a Master of Arts in International Development Education from Stanford University. She is a Certified Professional Coach and a Certified Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer. Colleagues and clients describe her style as grounded and relational—combining warmth, respect, accountability, and humor to make difficult conversations more workable.