James McGovern is the Vice President of Community Supports & Self Direction for FREE. James joined FREE January 2022 bringing a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of leadership. James has immense passion for the work he does in the Human Services field. James started working in the community with children and special needs through creative arts and realized at an early age that everyone should have the same opportunities no matter what the person’s abilities are. Being in the creative arts space, James was given an opportunity to teach an inclusion dance class. This gave him the opportunity to discover that children can work together and realized the need for strong leaders and supports in the field. James taught the children teamwork, patience, kindness, and empathy. From this point on, he felt a sense of purpose and went on to be an Medicaid Service Coordinator and then advanced over the years into leadership roles, eventually attaining the VP role at FREE.
James currently oversees the Fiscal Intermediary dept, Self-Hired Community Habilitation, Self-Hired Respite, Community Habilitation, In Home, Overnight, Site Based Respite programs, and Family Support Services/Voucher Reimbursement. James is a member of the Inter Agency Council Committee as well as the NY Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation. James is very driven and determined to grow the departments that he oversees. James finds it extremely important to advocate for the people he serves on a daily basis as well as assure they are benefiting from the services they receive. James looks forward to creating new innovative programing, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering a culture of excellence within his departments. With his forward thinking approach and dedication to FREE, James ‘mission is to continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of FREE with his peers on the Executive Leadership team. He is grateful for the opportunities and blessings that FREE has provided to him and his career thus far. One Team, One Dream.
