Brett James, LLA, AICP

Senior Planner, Landscape Architect

Brett James, LLA, AICP, brings over three decades of federal and municipal planning experience. He began his career as a U.S. Navy Seabee in 1989. He retired from federal service in 2024 after 23 years as a civilian with the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), where he held key leadership roles across Japan and the United States. His portfolio includes leading the $8 billion redevelopment of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan; overseeing aircraft platform bed-downs for the F-35 and P-8; and guiding award-winning installation master plans.

Brett also served as Director of Planning and Development for Jacksonville, Florida—the largest city by land area in the continental U.S.—and previously worked for the Oklahoma City Planning Department. He is a past Chair of the American Planning Association’s Federal Planning Division, during which the Division received APA’s Overall Performance Award.

A retired U.S. Navy veteran, Brett served in Operation Enduring Freedom and earned the Navy Commendation and Achievement Medals. He holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma. He is a licensed landscape architect and certified city planner.