James H. DeGraffenreidt, Jr. is immediate past chairman of the Maryland State Board of Education and former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of WGL Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Washington Gas. He also served as chairman and CEO of Washington Gas, the natural gas utility serving over 1 million customers in the Washington metropolitan area and surrounding region.

In addition to serving on the boards of the Walters Art Museum and the Maryland Science Center, DeGraffenreidt is in his second term on the State Board of Education.

DeGraffenreidt received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale College. He has four children and lives in Cedarcroft with his wife, Dr. Mychelle Farmer.