James “Jim” Hughes is a Program Manager for Chenega Decision Sciences (CDS). He provides Program Management Support Services to the Army Human Resource Systems (AHRS), Accession Information Environment (AIE) contract.
Jim started at Chenega in February 2016, when CDS won the contract to support the Army’s General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) as the Program Manager and moved over to the AHRS/AIE program in November 2019.
The AIE program combines several small niche systems and databases to allow the Army’s recruiters to track possible recruits through one system from first initial interest to the point where they enlist and arrive at their initial training. CDS assists in developing a program that almost treats recruiting like a commercial sales site. If someone expresses interest in the Army, either in person or online, a record is created, and a local recruiter contacts them immediately. Jim, and his team of 24, help support the development of this crucial program. They provide over 80% of the personnel in the product office, developing the acquisition and cybersecurity strategies, and coordinating the development and implementation of all interfaces, along with a myriad of other tasks for AIE.
One of Jim’s favorite things about working for CDS is the leadership team. CDS president, Joe McNeely, and Director of Operations, Tara Lambros, are inclusive with their employees, whether they work at CDS headquarters or on a customer site. Jim and his team are kept up to date with changes and are included in local events. The leadership also provides Jim with the freedom to manage his team in a way that best supports the Army and takes advantage of each team member’s strengths.
Tara Lambros said, “Jim is a huge asset to CDS and is extremely respected by his peers, employees, and the government.”
In his spare time, Jim loves to read, hike, visit restaurants, and occasionally play golf — although he admits, not very well. When he gets the chance, he visits his two grandsons whom he credits in keeping his body and spirit young.