James Ploudré is a lifelong Missourian, IT systems and security expert, US Army Reserve veteran, and candidate for the St. Charles County Council, District 7. Rooted deeply in the local community, James has spent decades living, working, and raising a family right here in St. Charles County. He is running to bring a citizen’s perspective, fiscal responsibility, and technical expertise to the county level.
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Deep Local Roots & Community Foundation
James’s story is woven into the very fabric of the St. Charles region. Brought home from St. John’s Hospital to Hazelwood as an infant, his family moved to St. Peters when he was in the third grade, settling in with the first wave of the Golden Triangle migrants.
His childhood was defined by the classic, simple freedom of growing up in St. Charles County during that era. James spent his summers swimming at the Brookmount pool playing "gator," running through the fields avoiding local farmers and cows, and exploring the creek that served as the neighborhood's long-distance boundary. He attended All Saints Grade School, where he served as an altar boy, and learned the value of hard work early on by delivering newspapers for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, all while falling asleep each night to the familiar sound of the train passing through St. Peters.
Sports and community youth programs further anchored his upbringing. James grew up playing football at Brown Road Park and baseball in the St. Peters and R-III leagues. He was heavily influenced by his father, who dedicated over a decade to managing youth baseball teams. James carried on that tradition of service by umpiring youth baseball throughout high school and later umpiring USSSA softball across St. Charles County. His commitment to leadership was further forged in the Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Life Scout with Troop 760 at the Legion Hall (locally known as "Hobo's").
Military Service & Technical Expertise
After graduating from Duchesne High School and moving to Park Charles, James answered the call to serve his country by joining the US Army Reserve in 1988.
Following his military training, James pursued his passion for technology. He began his higher education in the College Transfer program at St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley ("Flo Valley") before transferring to the University of Missouri to study Computer Science.
James built a highly successful career in the technology sector, starting from the ground up:
Early Career: Landed his first adult job programming on West Clay Street, living in a historic 1800s farmhouse off Ehlmann Road.
Corporate Leadership: Worked his way up through the tech industry to secure a pivotal systems and application management role at AT&T, where he spent years managing complex environments before retiring from the telecom giant.
Core Competencies: Over his career, James established himself as a proven Systems Manager, Linux SRE, DevOps supporter, and cybersecurity specialist.
Family & Neighborhood Commitment
St. Charles County is where James chose to build his life. After marrying, he and his wife moved into the Bel Rae Apartments on First Capital Drive. Through hard work and careful saving, they purchased their first home on South Drive, just down from where the St. Charles Convention Center stands today.
James later moved to the Harvester/Weldon Spring area, near the intersection of Dingledine and Towers roads, where he has resided ever since. Following 22 years of marriage, James has been amicably divorced for the last 12 years. He remains deeply grateful for the dedicated four-parent team that shared the rewarding work of raising two wonderful boys, who have since grown into exceptional young men, and kindly requests that the privacy and boundaries of his family be respected throughout the campaign.
A Vision for District 7
Now retired from the corporate tech world, James is focusing his energy on giving back to the community that raised him. He is running for the St. Charles County Council District 7 to protect local neighborhoods, stand up for taxpayers, and bring critical technical oversight to county infrastructure. Following the election, James plans to bring his extensive IT expertise back into the workforce.
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