Jim is a native of Boulder and lived there until he attended Carleton College (philosophy major and mathematics minor).   His first career was as an actuary, but he later secured two master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in international affairs and public administration, which launched his career in international development.   After administering a variety of development assistance programs for non-governmental organizations and the United Nations in Vietnam and China from 1990 to 2000, he joined USAID as a Foreign Service Officer, working in Yemen, Armenia, Russia, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea, and Tajikistan.   During a three-year stint at USAID Headquarters as the Director for all operations in the Asia Region, he shepherded the effort to upgrade United States assistance to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  He lives in Niwot with his wife Joanna and their two teenage children and two dogs.