James works directly with the audit committee of Washington Trust's board of directors. He joined Washington Trust in 1998 with more than 38 years of audit experience. He is a Certified Trust Auditor, a Certified Fraud Auditor, a Certified Internal Control Auditor and a Certified Risk Professional. James holds a bachelor's degree from Bernard Baruch College and a master's degree in business administration from the University of New Haven. James is also a graduate from the Bank Administration Institute's School of Banking. James is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Rhode Island Banker's Association's Audit Committee.