James T. Kaufmann is an American public-sector leader with extensive experience in landscape, grounds, and arboricultural management at a national institutional level. He serves as Executive Director of the U.S. Capitol Grounds and Arboretum within the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), where he is responsible for the stewardship, planning, and long-term care of the historic landscapes surrounding the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. 

In this role, Kaufmann oversees the management of the Capitol campus, including gardens, lawns, trees, and the Capitol Arboretum, ensuring that these nationally significant landscapes are maintained to the highest professional standards while balancing heritage values, public use, sustainability, and security. His work integrates arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, and facilities management within a complex federal and historic context. 

Kaufmann is also a visible representative of the Architect of the Capitol in public and inter-institutional collaborations, contributing to initiatives that highlight the cultural, ecological, and symbolic importance of trees and green spaces at the heart of American democracy, including high-profile national programs such as the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.