James Nash’s career as a storyteller began in the inky confines of the Saline Reporter, a now-defunct weekly newspaper in his Michigan hometown. An after-school gig as a paper carrier evolved into writing and designing the newspaper, all before he enrolled in the University of Michigan in nearby Ann Arbor. 

Years later, James is now telling the story of UC Davis as director of News and Media Relations. His role includes communicating with local, niche and national news media about issues and developments at the university. It’s his third time moving to the Sacramento region: His first post-college job was reporting for The Union in Grass Valley; he moved to Sacramento from Ohio years later as a reporter for Bloomberg News; and he came to UC Davis from Washington, D.C., where he served as the spokesperson for the National Governors Association and as a senior vice president at a bipartisan public-affairs consulting firm. James also has worked as a reporter in Southern California, Ohio and New Jersey and as spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Controller. 

James lives in Davis with his wife, George Washington University Assistant Research Professor Alokananda Ghosh. 

 
Guilty pleasure: 

’80s hair metal

Mountains or beaches?

Mountains! While a beach may bring hours of relaxation, a mountain represents a challenge. 

Cool professional experiences:
Searching for banned foie gras in California restaurants, covering Republican candidates across the country in the 2016 presidential primary, visiting every Gold Country downtown, chasing the purported Bitcoin inventor around Southern California.