Congressman John James to speak at Adrian College’s Spring Commencement
Posted Monday, March 31, 2025
Author: Mickey Alvarado
Michigan Congressman John James will be the guest speaker for Adrian College’s Spring Commencement on Sunday, May 4.
James represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, which is located north of Detroit and includes the cities of Fraser, Mount Clemens, Rochester Hills, St. Clair Shores, Sterling Heights, Utica, and Warren.
The ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and is open to the public.
James was applauded by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House Black History reception in February. Trump referred to James as a “young star,” noting that he had predicted his continued success five years ago.
“I agree with President Trump,” Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking said. “John exemplifies how hard work and determination lead to lasting success. His leadership spans military service, business, and politics — an extraordinary trajectory from a West Point-educated Ranger-qualified Apache helicopter pilot in Iraq, to the CEO of a thriving logistics company, and now a U.S. Congressman. That remarkable path is precisely why we invited him to address our students.”
James was sworn into the 119th Congress on January 3, and said he was “beyond excited to get to work on behalf of the Michigan people.”
“They elected us to bring down gas and grocery costs, secure our borders, end EV mandates, and restore American leadership on the global stage,” James said.
Two weeks later, he was selected to serve on three subcommittees on the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 119th Congress: Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade; Energy; and Health.
“Each one has direct jurisdiction over important issues that impact Michiganders,” James said. “On these subcommittees, I am excited for the opportunity to work with the incoming Trump Administration to pass legislation that will lower energy prices, increase transparency in the health care sector, and re-shore Michigan’s manufacturing jobs.
“In November, you gave me my marching orders: help bring our jobs back from Mexico and China, restore American energy dominance, and fight the nameless, faceless, ghouls in big government, big tech and big ‘health’ that are bankrupting, hurting and killing Americans by the millions. Time to get to work.”
Prior to being elected to Congress in 2022, James served as President of James Group International (JGI) and CEO of Renaissance Global Logistics — a supply-chain management and logistics services company based in Detroit.
Before joining JGI in 2012, James served eight years of active-duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer where he led two Apache platoons in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom (07-09.)
James was born in Southfield, Oakland County, Mich., June 8, 1981; graduated from Brother Rice High School, Bloomfield Township, Mich., 1999. He began his military career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a bachelor’s degree in law and systems (Industrial) Engineering. He earned a Master of Supply Chain Management and Information Systems from Penn State University Smeal School of Business in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in May 2015.
In addition to serving on several charitable and community Boards in Detroit, James has also received accolades from many industry groups, including Crain’s Detroit Business 2020 “40 Under 40.”
James and his wife, Elizabeth, have three sons, John (11), Hudson (9), and Christian (6).
For more information about Adrian College’s Spring Commencement, visit adrian.edu.
