James Gude

James Gude is the Acting Executive Officer (EO) for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health. In this role, he serves as principal advisor to the Director on all management issues affecting the NHLBI. James oversees the Institute’s human resource management, administrative services, ethics, contracting, freedom of information, and workforce development branches.

Prior to his role as Acting EO, James led NHLBI’s Administrative Management Branch (AMB) where he served in a variety of roles culminating in his appointment as Branch Chief in 2021. During his time in AMB, James oversaw a team of Administrative Officers (AOs) to provide human resource, budget tracking, and travel support to NHLBI’s extramural divisions. He also developed and implemented a strategy to integrate several key services in AMB to make the Branch more efficient and effective across the Institute.

A U.S. Navy veteran, James came to the NHLBI from the U.S. Naval Academy where he served as a Training Program Manager. James joined the Navy in 1995, and throughout his 21-year naval career, he completed deployments around the globe including those supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. A recipient of multiple medals and awards for individual and organizational achievement, James retired from the Navy in 2016.