James C. McConnell
Founder, McConnell Strategies LLC
"I didn't learn how federal hiring works from a textbook. I learned it from inside the agencies — processing claims, evaluating programs, developing policy, and serving the people those systems are built to help."
James C. McConnell is a Master of Public Administration, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a career public servant with 16 years of combined public service — including 4 years with the U.S. Navy and nearly 12 years across five federal civilian agencies and a federal internship at the National Archives and Records Administration.
At the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, James conducted SNAP retailer compliance work — reviewing retailer applications for program authorization, conducting compliance reviews of authorized retailers, investigating potential SNAP trafficking and fraud, monitoring store inventory and eligibility requirements, and ensuring businesses met USDA program standards. At the Social Security Administration, he conducted 850+ individual advisory sessions helping people navigate complex federal benefit systems, serving as an inter-agency liaison between SSA, state agencies, and community organizations. At the EPA Office of Inspector General, James contributed to a nationwide 50-state program evaluation — developing workpapers, coordinating multi-agency stakeholder engagement, and contributing to a published federal report.
James also served at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicating 1,000+ federal benefit applications, and at the National Archives and Records Administration as a federal intern.
He founded McConnell Strategies LLC to put that insider knowledge directly in the hands of people who need it — federal job seekers, career transitioners, veterans, and anyone navigating a pivotal moment in their professional or personal life.