Marisa James

Marisa James, CEO of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), brings nearly 20 years of experience as an educator in a hospital-based, NAACLS-accredited Medical Laboratory Science program. Before stepping into her current leadership role, she served on the NAACLS Board of Directors, holding key positions including Secretary and Vice President. NAACLS accredits over 600 educational programs across the clinical laboratory sciences. Under Marisa’s leadership, the agency is committed to providing personalized support to programs by helping them achieve and maintain accreditation, deliver high-quality education, and assure the public that laboratory professionals meet rigorous standards through the NAACLS seal of approval. A certified Medical Laboratory Scientist and graduate of a NAACLS-accredited program herself, Marisa is a passionate advocate for the profession. She is especially dedicated to highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of laboratory