James-Christian Blockwood

James-Christian Blockwood is executive vice president of the Partnership for Public Service—a nonpartisan nonprofit that strives to improve government and inspire people to serve. In this role, he helps with overall strategy and management of the organization, and directly oversees its programs dedicated to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal government.  

He has broad experience in leadership and management, strategic planning, national security and foreign affairs. He is a former career member of the Senior Executive Service and has helped transform and build new capabilities in federal agencies across the U.S. government.

Previously, he served as a managing director at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a director in the Office of Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a deputy director in the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and an intelligence officer at the U.S. Department of Defense.

Among his proudest professional achievements are providing combat support to DoD while deployed overseas, helping develop the first DHS International Engagement Strategy, helping establish VA’s Quadrennial Strategic Planning Process, and establishing GAO’s Center for Audit Excellence and Center for Strategic Foresight.

He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, term member at the Council on Foreign Relations, Presidential Leadership Scholar, and Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He earned an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University, an M.S. of strategic intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College, and a B.A. in international relations from Tufts University.