Deborah Lee James is executive vice president for communications and government affairs at SAIC. James has served in senior homeland and national security management, policy and program positions in government and the private sector for more than 25 years. Prior to assuming her present position, she was an SAIC business unit general manager for a team of 2,900 employees specializing in command, control, communications and computers as well as aviation support services for the U.S. military. She served for more than five years as assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, the senior advisory position to the secretary of defense on all matters pertaining to the 1.8 million National Guard and Reserve Forces. She has also served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Business Executives for National Security and as vice president, international operations and marketing at United Technologies Corporation.