# List of James Madison University alumni

The following is a list of James Madison University alumni.

## Athletics

* Odicci Alexander, softball player
* Macey Brooks, football player
* Daniel Brown, football player for the New York Jets
* Steve Buckhantz, basketball play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards
* Mike Caussin, football player
* Gary Clark, football player
* Jeff Compher, Director of Athletics at East Carolina University
* Lindsay Czarniak, ESPN anchor
* Eric Davis, rugby player
* John DeFilippo, NFL quarterback coach
* Ben DiNucci, football player for the Seattle Sea Dragons
* Dion Foxx, former American football linebacker in the National Football League
* Nelson Garner, football player
* Charles Haley, football player, Football Hall of Fame inductee and five-time Super Bowl Champion with the Cowboys and 49ers
* Tiombe Hurd, USA Olympic track & field athlete (2004); American record holder in outdoor triple jump
* Jay Jones, football player
* Akeem Jordan, football player for the Washington Redskins
* Delvin Joyce, football player
* Christina Julien, professional soccer player, member of 2011 Canadian women's world cup team
* Curtis Keaton, football player
* Kevin Kelly, baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays
* Rodney Landers, football player
* Vad Lee, football player
* Dean Marlowe, football player for the Carolina Panthers
* Alan Mayer, soccer player, voted in 1999 the Top JMU Athlete of the Century
* David McLeod, first recipient of the AFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
* Arthur Moats, NFL linebacker and defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers
* Jimmy Moreland, football player
* Kurt Morsink, soccer player
* Scott Norwood, football player
* Ed Perry, football player
* John Roberts, Speed TV host
* Elliott Sadler, race car driver, did not graduate
* Billy Sample, baseball player and broadcaster
* C. J. Sapong, Major League Soccer player (forward position) for Philadelphia Union, 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year, USMNT
* Bryan Stinespring, football coach
* Linton Townes (born 1959), basketball player
* Mike Venafro, baseball player
* Earl Watford, football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Josh Wells, football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Tamera Young, basketball player
* Nick Zimmerman, Major League Soccer player for Philadelphia Union

## Academics

* Alice Anderson, Purdue University NW, College of Education Dean and Professor, retired. Radford University School of Teacher Education and Leadership, Founding Director and Professor.
* Marcia Angell, Harvard University Medical School faculty member
* Carole Baldwin, research zoologist
* Matt Bondurant, author of The Wettest County in the World; professor at the University of Texas at Dallas
* Kembrew McLeod, faculty member at the University of Iowa
* Marney White, Yale University faculty member

## Business

* Jason Harris, president and founder of Mekanism
* Jennifer Morgan, Co-Chief Executive Officer of SAP SE
* John-Paul Lee, founder and CEO of Tavalon Tea
* Christina Tosi, owner of Momofuku Milk Bar; MasterChef judge; James Beard Foundation Award winner: Rising Star Chef
* Kathy J. Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman
* Steven Arhancet, Co-CEO of Team Liquid

## Entertainment

* Sarah Baker, actress (The Campaign, Mascots)
* Tony Deyo, comedian
* Glennon Doyle, author
* Meredith Garretson, actress
* Barbara Hall, TV producer and writer
* Ashley Iaconetti, television personality (The Bachelor)
* Steve James, documentary producer and director
* Mia LaBerge, artist
* Geoff LaTulippe, screenwriter
* Mark Jordan Legan, TV and film writer, NPR correspondent
* Karen McCullah Lutz, screenwriter
* Nathan Lyon, host of Discovery Health's television series A Lyon in the Kitchen
* Wendy Maybury, stand-up comedian
* PFT Commenter, blogger, podcast personality (Pardon My Take)
* Jon Pineda, author
* Don Rhymer, screenwriter and producer
* Anne Savedge, photographer, artist
* Tony Schiavone, professional wrestling announcer
* Reshma Shetty, actress (Royal Pains)
* Patricia Southall, Miss Virginia USA; first runner-up Miss USA
* Chris Sprouse, comic book artist
* Phoef Sutton, film and television writer
* Sara Tomko, actress (Resident Alien)
* Nina Willner, nonfiction author
* Brent Comer, Broadway actor (The Outsiders (musical))

## Journalism

* Jim Acosta, Senior White House Correspondent for CNN
* Cornell Belcher, writer, pollster, and political strategist; regular contributor on NBC News, MSNBC, and NPR
* Julia Campbell, newspaper journalist and reporter for CourtTV
* Lawrence Jackson, photojournalist
* Alison Parker, television reporter who, along with videographer Adam Ward, was killed during a live interview in 2015
* Chuck Taylor, music journalist

## Music

* Robert Abisi, DJ (Lost Kings)
* Brian Balmages, composer
* Margaret Becker, Christian rock musician
* The Bigger Lights, alternative rock band
* Ross Copperman, recording artist
* Tony Deyo, marching band drill designer
* Everything, '90s rock band
* Gifts From Enola, '00s post-rock band
* Andrew Goldstein, music producer, songwriter
* Joe Hottinger, musician (Halestorm)
* Keith Howland, musician (Chicago)
* Illiterate Light, rock band
* Chris Monroe, musician
* Leroi Moore, musician (Dave Matthews Band)
* Soon Hee Newbold, producer, composer, musician
* Old Dominion, members Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi, country musicians and song-writers
* Nate Smith, drummer, songwriter, producer
* Butch Taylor, musician (Dave Matthews Band)
* Phil Vassar, country music singer; awarded honorary degree
* Andrew York, musician and composer

## Politics and government

* Dawn Adams, Virginia State Delegate
* Dickie Bell, former Virginia State Delegate
* Melanie Blunt, First Lady of Missouri (2005–2009)
* Chris Collins, former Virginia State Delegate
* Kirk Cox, former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
* Sean F. Dalton, member of the New Jersey General Assembly
* Emmett Hanger, Virginia State Senator
* Tara Jackson, acting Prince George's County Executive (2024–present)
* James A. "Jay" Leftwich, Jr., Virginia State Delegate
* Ryan McDougle, Virginia State Senator and former Virginia State Delegate
* Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County, VA Board of Supervisors
* Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia
* Matt Rinaldi, former Texas State Representative and chairman of the Republican Party of Texas
* Bettina Ring, former Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
* Walter Shaub, former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics and senior director, Campaign Legal Center
* Joseph R. Slights III, Vice-chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery; Judge, Superior Court of Delaware
* Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond, Virginia and former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
* Scott Surovell, Virginia State Senator
* Matthew Wasniewski, Historian of the United States House of Representatives
* Liza Wright, served George W. Bush as Assistant to President for Presidential Personnel and Director of Presidential Personnel
* Anita Friedt, American diplomat and former U.S. Department of State senior official