James Michel

James Michel is a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an independent consultant in development cooperation, specializing in support for good governance and the rule of law. During a long career of public service, he was the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala and chair of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He also held a number of senior positions with the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the Department of State, he served as principal deputy legal adviser and as principal deputy assistant secretary for inter-American affairs. In USAID, he was assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean and also acting deputy administrator, acting administrator, and counselor to the agency. In the private sector, he was senior counsel to Tetra Tech DPK, an international consulting firm. He received his law degree (juris doctor, cum laude) from Saint Louis University.