Career Biography: James Bryant

SAN FRANCISCO - With over thirty years of experience, JBR President and CEO James Bryant has accumulated a wide variety of skills in the community development, political, and business world. His experience spans a wide field of employment and knowledge. He has gone from working directly with underserved communities as a volunteer, to being a professional employee for the city of San Francisco, to owning and developing his own businesses and organizations.

In 1977 he served as a Transit Police Officer in the San Francisco Police Department. There he became known for the great feat of apprehending the then infamous MUNI Bus Bandit. For the next two decades Bryant continued his work in San Francisco MUNI, moving on to become a Station Agent.

Amidst those years Bryant became an activist for the local employee Unions throughout the city. He became a member of the SEIU Local 790 City-wide Negotiating team in 1983, and a Delegate for the San Francisco Labor Council in 1993. Bryant soon became a pivotal force in the Union rights movement.

He was elected Chapter President of the Station Agents for SFMUNI from 1986-1995 and Vice President of SEIU Local 790. By 2007 he was appointed Political Chair of the COPE Committee, where it covered 60,000 members throughout Northern California SEIU Public Employees from San Francisco to the Oregon border.

With both the perspectives of an employee of the city and protecting the rights of these employees under his belt, Bryant quickly became involved with community and social work. In 1995 he was elected President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute – San Francisco Chapter.

APRISF is a union affiliated civil rights non-profit organization, dedicated to the advocacy and advancement of the economic development and civic needs to of African American and other minority communities.

As Chapter President, and later in 2005 as Western Regional Director, Bryant oversaw and initiated programs. He established and developed political, Labor, business and community networks critical in running the programs, and oversaw the financial status of the chapter together with the Executive Director. Now only serving as the Western Regional Director, his responsibilities also encompass the Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and California chapters.

Mr. Bryant has served in several community building organizations. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – San Francisco Branch in 1997 as an Executive Board Member, and the Board of Directors for the Young Community Developers, Inc, in 2009 to name a few.

Currently, James Bryant sits as the CEO of JBR Partners, Inc. This organization deals with work in community based and private sectors. They have interfaced with city government, large corporations, unions, contractors, and various community organizations and stakeholders.

For over 3 years they have coordinated with workforce development entities such as CityBuild, Cypress Mandela, and Liuna, utilizing these longstanding relationships for the betterment of underserved members of the Bayview-Hunters Point area.

JBR is known for its organic community relationships, which are attributed to its arrangement of community involved activities and very personable outreach techniques. Events include mass community organizing and education around important community issues; community benefit event production/coordination; and the coordination of community empowering programs (i.e. job training and placement).

Today, James Bryant continues to enhance his business as well as contribute positively to the community he grew up in.