James-Denton (JD)
Wyllie
Leadership Role
Director - Office of Communications
James-Denton (JD) Wyllie serves as the Executive Director of CDER’s Office of Communications (OCOMM), where he manages CDER’s public outreach and internal communications programs. His expertise includes public affairs program management, strategic communications planning, organizational marketing, digital communication operations, stakeholder outreach, media relations and crisis communications.
Before joining CDER, Mr. Wyllie served as Director for the Office of Communications at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – the nation’s premiere agricultural research agency. At ARS, he led communication efforts to inform the public about USDA-led solutions to global agricultural challenges and gained support for agency programs among the media, industry, Congress and other ARS stakeholders.
Prior to his time at USDA, Mr. Wyllie served as Deputy Director for the U.S. Navy Office of Information’s External Communications Division, overseeing headquarter digital engagement operations and leading global strategy development for online and social media outreach and content marketing. He also served as the Marketing Officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and as the Command Information Officer for the U.S. Army’s Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem.
Mr. Wyllie holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida International University and is a graduate of the executive leadership programs at the Federal Executive Institute and American University. He is an U.S. Army veteran, completing public affairs missions in the Philippines, Honduras, Alaska and Afghanistan. Mr. Wyllie is a member of the Senior Executive Service.