Pastor Gailliard made history as the first person of color elected to represent North Carolina House District 25 (Nash–Rocky Mount), serving two terms in the General Assembly. A passionate policy architect, he has held appointments on the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), DRIVE Task Force (Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education), and currently serves on the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. He is also a Fellow of the NC Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) and a former Chairman of the Board for the NC Legislative Black Caucus Foundation.

As Principal of Impact Consultants, LLC and Founder of the Faith and Victory Fund, Pastor Gailliard provides strategic leadership to governments, universities, nonprofits, and philanthropies—especially those serving rural and under-resourced communities. His expertise in cross-sector faith-based collaboration has positioned him as a national thought leader on systemic change.

His passion for education equity and workforce readiness led to his appointment as a Commissioner of MyFutureNC, where he co-developed North Carolina’s statewide educational attainment goal. He also serves as Founder and Chairman of The REACH Center, Inc. and as a Trustee of Elizabeth City State University.

A sought-after speaker and preacher, Pastor Gailliard is an inductee of the Morehouse College Board of Preachers, a former honor roll and Dean’s List scholar, and a committed advocate for the Black Church’s prophetic witness in today’s society. His work has been featured in Facts & Trends, Church Executive, Business North Carolina, and other regional and national publications.

For his lifelong commitment to service, he has been honored with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and the President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award.
Husband, father, grandfather, and servant-leader—James D. Gailliard continues to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage so that all may thrive.