James Williams

James Williams, President of Engage Cuba, is an experienced public policy advocate and political strategist who assembled and led an under-the-radar $3 million national campaign to successfully convince the Obama Administration to reform U.S.-Cuba relations. To achieve this unprecedented result, Williams built a coalition of civil society groups and business interests, running the advocacy effort more like a campaign than a traditional public policy organization and staying behind the scenes to maintain the focus on the policy issues at stake. Prior to becoming President of Engage Cuba, Williams was the Director of Public Policy of Trimpa Group, a consulting firm where he managed a portfolio of state and federal government relations, strategic political consulting, and philanthropic and political investment advising for institutional and individual clients.

Before joining Trimpa Group, James served as a consultant to the Bonner Group, a leading progressive fundraising consulting firm in Washington, DC, where he oversaw major donor relations and political fundraising. Previously, James coordinated partnerships and fundraising for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, an international public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to improving transatlantic relations. James has also worked for the John Kerry for President campaign.