1. James T. Edwards 312-339-8273
4537 S Drexel Blvd, Unit 106
jamestedwards716@gmail.com
Chicago, IL 60653
Experience
Jan. ‘14—Present Director, Cook County GED® Records Office,
Evanston, IL. I manage a three-person office that serves as
custodian of High School Equivalency records for Cook County and the
IL Dept. of Corrections.The program is funded through the Illinois
Community College Board via a contract with the Sangamon County
Regional Office of Education.
Oct. ’02—Dec. ‘13 Director, Cook County GED® Testing Program,
Evanston, IL. I managed a five-person office staff and organize
GED testing at 12 public centers and 6 non-public testing sites in Cook
County. This office was responsible for half the GED Tests in Illinois.
The program was funded through the Illinois Community College Board
via a contract with the Sangamon County Regional Office of Education,
who hired me and the staff as sub-contractors.
Jan. ’02—Oct.’02 Director, Employer Services, Jobs For Youth,
Chicago, IL. Managed staff of five job developers. Revamped
business-to-business communication, established procedures for MIS,
hired staff. In May-July, 2002 my department achieved the best
placement numbers for any quarter in the history of our primary contract.
Dec. ’99—Jan. ’02 Bookseller, Steck-Vaughn Publishing, Austin,
TX. As Chicago-based adult education sales rep for IL and IN, achieved
99% of my FY 2001 sales goal and increased territorysales by 24%. The
territory became #1 in the company for the next six months.

2. Apr. ’98—Nov. ’99 Methodology Specialist, PACE Institute of the
SAFER Foundation, Chicago, IL. Designed and implemented a
process of continuing improvement for the GED, ABE, and Literacy
curricula for this adult education program inside Cook County Jail. Feb.
’98—Apr. ’98 Teacher, Richards Career Academy, Chicago, IL.Taught a
group of at-risk Chicago public high school seniors as part of the Jobs for
Illinois Graduates program.
Jan. ’97—Dec. ’99 ACT/SAT Test Preparation Instructor, Stanley
H. Kaplan, Chicago, IL. Taught eight-session courses to prepare high
school students for the ACT and SAT. Received bonuses for first-rate
student performance and top evaluations.
Jan. ’97—Jan. ’98 Case Manager, Thresholds Bridge Southwest,
Chicago, IL. Assisted patients just discarded from Madden State
Mental Health Facility. Counseled patients, monitored medication, and
linked clients to community mental health and social services.
Mar. ’93—Jan. ’98 Co-Founder, EdWel & Co., Inc. Chicago, IL.EdWel
provided guaranteed literacy training and cost-benefit analyses of training
programs to business and industry. Clients included Borg-Warner,
Navistar, U.S. Robotics, Dow Chemical, and the United Auto
Workers.
Jan. ’95—Apr. ’96 Adult Education Teacher, Elgin Community
College, Elgin, IL. Taught adult ESL and GED classes to Head Start
mothers, and taught reading to at-risk high school dropouts (K-12
refugees).

3. Oct. ’94—Apr. ’96 Public Aid Coordinator, Literacy
Volunteer Coordinator, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL.
Recruited, advised, retained, and referred to services students of the
Adult Basic Education Center who were receiving public aid. Helped
design the “World of Work” program. Recruited and coordinated in-
class volunteer teaching aides.
Aug. 93—Mar. ’94 Writing Teacher, Malcolm X College, Chicago,
IL. Taught 16 hours of remedial writing per week in the Personalized
CurriculumInstitute, using the Morningside method of generative
instruction.
Apr. ’90—Mar. ’93 Regional Manager, Kumon Mathematex, Inc.,
Houston,TX. Sold a Japanese math instruction program to over
40 schools in nine Midwestern states. Trained teachers in the Kumon
method and set up programs for client schools.
Sep. ’89—Jun. ’90 Teacher, Art Institute of Houston,Houston, TX.
Taught three sections of Oral Communication in Business as part of the
general education curriculumat this commercial art trade school.
Jul. ’89—Mar. ’90 Writer/Producer, Dr. Red Duke’s Health
Reports, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston,
TX. Researched, wrote, and produced health-related news
packages for syndication in approximately 65 U.S. TV markets.
Mar. ’88—May ’89 Writer/Field Producer, Travelview International,
Houston,TX. Managed complete production of travel videos in
Paris, Acapulco, and Baja California. Wrote travelogue and ad scripts,
managed client relations, and collected payments.

4. Mar. ’86—Mar. ’88 Reporter/Photographer, KCEN-TV Killeen
Bureau, Temple-Waco, TX. As Killeen Bureau Chief, covered Ft. Hood
and the Texas Legislature. Also covered NATO’s ’87 war games in West
Germany.
Jul. ’85—Mar. ’86 Mental Health Worker, Girlstown, U.S.A., Austin,
TX. Worked a 48-hourweekend shift as a “house-parent’ for 20-25
“emotionally disturbed” teenage girls.
Jun. ’85—Mar. ’86 News Intern, KPRC-TV Austin Bureau, Houston,
TX. Researched and set up story interviews, produced in the field,
gripped, and learned the TV news business, unpaid.
Sep. ’84—Dec. ’84 News Announcer/Disc Jockey,WSDR-radio,
Sterling, IL. Reported news on-air live, worked Sunday
evening board shift, wrote news.
Jun. ’81—Aug. ’84 Musician, Bandleader“The Bronx” and “Big
Larry and Code Blues,” Carbondale, IL. Led a band, played college
towns and juke joints between Chicago, St. Louis, and northern
Kentucky.
This work was the basis of my master’s thesis.
Aug. ’80—Jan. ’81 College Teaching Assistant, Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale, IL. As a graduate fellow, taught the freshman
interpersonal communication course to students in the College of
Technical Careers.
Education
1975-1977 Brown University, Providence, RI: Theatre, Semiotics
1977-1980 Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL:

5. B.A., 1980,Speech Communication
1980-1984 Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL:
M.A., 1984,Philosophy of Human Communication
1981-1982 Eight months of travel in Europe and Israel,
hitchhiking, talking to strangers, being a foreigner
1985 University of Texas, Austin, TX: 1st
year Ph.D. courses in Speech
Communication
1996-2010 Frank J. Rumoro Jazz Academy, Chicago, IL: Jazz guitar
theory and practice
Honors and Awards
1978 Elected to Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor
Fraternity, SIU-C
1980-1981 University Fellowship, SIU-C
1985 University Fellowship, University of Texas-Austin
1996 Guest Speaker, Northwest Suburban Councilfor Community
Services Symposium on Welfare Reform, “Why Don’t They Just Get a
Job?”
2004 Commencement Speaker, GED Graduation, Kennedy-King
College, Chicago, IL
2004,2006 Commencement Speaker, GED Graduation, Truman College,
Chicago, IL
2007 Commencement Speaker, GED Graduation, Triton College, River
Grove, IL
2010 Commencement Speaker, GED Graduation, South Suburban
College, South Holland, IL
2010 Commencement Speaker, GED Graduation, Wright College,
Chicago, IL
Volunteer Work

6. 1994 Docent at the Field Museum of Natural History for the permanent
exhibit, “Africa”
1994 Teaching GED classes at Two Rivers Head Start Family Center,
Elgin, IL
2012-present Board member, PACE Institute of the Safer Foundation
2015-present Board member, National Alliance for the
Empowerment of the Formerly Incarcerated