Jim Lawson

Jim Lawson is the president of Workforce Silicon Valley. Founded in 1995 by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, Workforce Silicon Valley (WSV) is a region-wide collaborative working to catalyze systemic educational improvement and expand career opportunities for Silicon Valley youth. Lawson comes to the organization with experience as a policy maker, educator and industry innovator. He is currently a Councilmember of the City of Milpitas. Lawson holds a BA degree in Philosophy and MA degree in English Literature and he pursued courses in Educational Administration at Teacher's College of Columbia University. As an educational consultant to Westinghouse Learning Corporation, Lawson directed the development and design of individualized learning programs, standardized test scoring, and scheduling.

Lawson is an active force in regional coalitions to support funding for highway improvements, light rail construction and housing. He is president of Terrace Gardens, Inc. a senior housing project in the City of Milpitas. Lawson is a member and past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the organization which provides the area's mass transit service as well as the construction of light rail lines and highway improvements. He serves as a board member of the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) and the Capitol Corridor InterCity Rail. As former chair of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (CalTrain), Lawson oversaw the beginning of major capital projects and service increases.

In addition to public service, Lawson was a creative and versatile industry manager in the "high tech" field, where he focused on introducing new technology to the marketplace.

Lawson's background in education, business and public policy enable him to provide a unique viewpoint on the issues facing education in Silicon Valley.