As chancellor of Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Kansas City, Missouri, Mark James has facilitated positive change in financial operations, public presence, and campus safety. He has introduced a comprehensive emergency intervention plan. He has also recruited and hired more than ten executive and director-level leaders, including five campus presidents and three vice chancellors.

Mark James has proved effective in drawing local and national attention to the college and its resources. He has unified the school's five campuses through the "One MCC" initiative and implemented a public information office, through which experienced television and print journalists communicate the accomplishments of students and employees to the local and national media outlets. Meanwhile, his innovative programs and initiatives have prompted campus visits from a number of national secretaries, the former second lady of the United States, and former president Barack Obama.

Similarly effective in overcoming the effects of dwindling state appropriations, Mark James implemented a zero-based budgeting model and restructured institutional debt, which allowed for the reallocation of funds to technology upgrades. Mark James has managed to restructure and outsource College necessary functions without laying off any college employees. With the long list of improvements, the 100 year old institution remains a model for community college systems across the nation to look to for best practices and innovations.