James Petersen
About James Petersen
James Petersen serves as the Tech Lead for the Web Team at the National Institutes of Health, where he manages the Percussion CM System and ensures compliance with web standards. He has over 17 years of experience in this role and previously worked as a Contract Editor at EEI Communications.
Work at National Institutes of Health
James Petersen has been serving as the Tech Lead for the Web Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2007. In this role, he manages the maintenance and upgrade of the Percussion CM System, focusing on user management and troubleshooting. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing requirements for the NIMH content management system since 2010. Petersen also interprets NIH, DHHS, and Federal Web policies for non-technical staff, ensuring compliance across the organization. His responsibilities include evaluating emerging technologies and overseeing their implementation to align with NIMH's strategic goals.
Education and Expertise
James Petersen earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of Maryland College Park, where he studied from 1991 to 1995. His educational background provides a foundation for his technical expertise in web development and content management. Petersen has extensive experience in writing and reviewing CSS, JavaScript, and server-side code, ensuring compliance with NIMH standards. He is skilled in creating and updating content types, templates, slots, workflows, and communities within the CMS.
Background
Before joining NIH, James Petersen worked at EEI Communications as a Contract Editor from 2002 to 2005 in Alexandria, VA. He also held the position of Acting Chief for the Web Team at NIH from 2005 to 2007. His career at NIH has spanned over 17 years, during which he has developed a strong understanding of the intersection between technology and communication within a federal health agency.
Technical Responsibilities
In his current role, James Petersen translates business requirements into technical requirements, facilitating communication between technical and non-technical staff. He regularly connects to and queries external databases as part of his responsibilities. Petersen advises senior NIMH leadership on emerging trends in electronic communications, helping to shape NIMH's communication strategies.