On Saturday, October 20, 2008, at the Bronx gala celebration of the college's 75^th anniversary, Andrew B. James was presented with the "Distinguished Alumni Award for the Year in the Bronx." Presenting the award, Leslie Jerome, Director of Alumni Relations, noted his extraordinary career both as an educator and entrepreneur.

Andrew B. James was born in St. Andrews, Grenada, West Indies. Upon coming to New York in 1970, he enrolled at Monroe College and earned his associate degree in Accounting. In 1974, he earned his Baccalaureate degree, cum laude, from New York Institute of Technology while working nights. He continued at the New York Institute of Technology and earned his MBA in 1977. He was a Delta Mu Delta National Business Honor Society inductee. He is currently a Certified Public Accountant.

After graduating NYIT, Andrew returned to Monroe College as an instructor of Accounting and Business Management. He advanced rapidly through the ranks at Monroe, eventually moving into senior administration.

During his career as a teacher and administrator, Andrew James has been the recipient of many awards, including the "Teacher of the Year" and the "Distinguished Service" awards at Monroe College, the "Outstanding Service and Commitment to Quality Education" award from Assemblyman Larry Seabrook and the Committee for a Positive Northeast Bronx, to name just a few.

Andrew is currently President/Owner of ABJ Management, Inc. which consists of numerous McDonald's restaurants operating in the Albany region. As a result of his exceptional abilities, in an unprecedented 28 months, Andrew became the largest African-American owner/operator of McDonald's in the Northeast, and among the top 20 owner/operators in the country.

Andrew and his wife Veverly, have two children, Mathew and Sarah.