Lisa-Erika James was born in Michigan and has lived her entire adult life in New York City. She is a tenured high school teacher with the New York City Department of Education where she has taught for the past 19 years. In 2023 she was recognized with an Excellence in Education Award, which honors exceptionally dedicated and skilled educators for their contributions to students’ academic and social progress. This year she was also nominated for the Big Apple Award, which recognizes and celebrates New York City teachers, and the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for Excellence in Teaching. She was recently named a recipient of the prestigious honor for the 2023-2024 Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.She has also been selected as one of YpsiWrites 2023 Writers of Ypsilanti. Her fellow teachers elected her as a delegate in the United Federation of Teachers to work alongside the chapter leader to advocate for the voices of members. James was the first African-American woman to graduate from Columbia University's Theater Directing Program, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts. James also earned a Master of Fine Arts in Theater Education from New York University. As a professional theater director, she has directed over 50 productions. James was the founder and artistic director of To Be Continued…Creating Young Leaders through the Arts, an arts and education 501(c)(3) organization designed to develop leadership skills through arts programming for teenagers. She is fluent in Spanish and has had a love for the arts since childhood.
