Mayor Fischer Appoints Vincent James As Chief Of Community Building

Mayor Fischer today announced the promotion of Vincent James to Louisville’s Chief of Community Building, which includes a leading role in the city’s comprehensive public safety strategy.

James currently serves as the Faith and Community Based Coordinator in the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, which works to address the root causes of violence through community engagement and programs such as Pivot to Peace and mentorship. As Chief of Community Building, James will supervise departments including Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, Public Health & Wellness, Youth Detention Services, the Louisville Zoo, and Parks & Recreation.

James will be a member of Mayor Fischer’s senior leadership team. He succeeds Yvette Gentry, who is leaving to focus on her health.

“Vincent James is a prime example of a citizen stepping up to be the one to make a difference in the life of a young person, and that is why he’s the perfect choice for a leadership role as we work every day toward a city where every single person has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential,” Mayor Fischer said.

“Likewise, we can’t express enough thanks to Col. Gentry. From her decades of service with LMPD, through her most recent work, Yvette has proven herself to be a compassionate and caring leader. She promised her family that if she had not achieved optimal health by the beginning of October, she would step away. She informed me of her intent and allowed us time to find a replacement to ensure a smooth transition that continues our positive momentum,” he continued. “I am pleased that Yvette will continue to share her passion, knowledge and experience as a member of the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods’ One Love Louisville Advisory Council.”

Gentry added: “I believe in the work, my team and their efforts to make the city a better place. I appreciate the opportunity that Mayor Fischer gave me and wish the team the very best going forward.”

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James is also pastor of Elim Baptist Church in Parkland, and has been involved in multiple non-profit community building initiatives before and after joining the Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods. James, who has Master Black Belt Six Sigma certification, previously served as a Business Team Leader and later Process Improvement Manager for GE.

“I’m excited to take on a bigger role in helping to provide a safe and healthy community for everyone in every neighborhood,” James said. “Louisville has strong teams in every agency that work toward our goal of building a stronger community, and I’m looking forward to working with them to build on the good work that’s been done over nearly seven years.”