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Mr. James J. Townsend Jr.
Name: Mr. James J. Townsend Jr.
Spectrum Experience:
- Mr. Townsend is a member of the International Business Division at SPECTRUM. He has extensive experience in European defense and security issues.
Biography:
Mr. James J. Townsend Jr. (Jim) is the Director of the Program on International Security at the Atlantic Council of the United States. Before taking up this position, Jim was the Principle Director of European and NATO Policy in the Office of Secretary of Defense, responsible for managing the day-to-day defense relationship between the United States, NATO and the nations of Europe. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Townsend served as the Director of NATO Policy and the Director of the Defense Plans Division at the US Mission to NATO.
Before beginning his tour at NATO, Mr. Townsend served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His last post in OSD was Deputy Director of European Policy where, as Director of the Warsaw Initiative assistance program, he played a pivotal role in building new relations between the US and the emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. From 1990 – 1994, Mr. Townsend was the Country Director for Northern Europe, where he developed new, post-Cold War defense relations between the US and the Scandinavian nations. During this time, Mr. Townsend was also heavily engaged in the Balkan crisis and in building the European coalition that fought with the US in the Gulf War.
Prior to his service on the European Policy staff, Mr. Townsend worked in the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) as Country Director for European security assistance and as the assistant to the DSCA Comptroller, where he worked on most of the financial aspects involved in foreign military sales.
Education:
Mr. Townsend earned a B.A. in History and Political Science from Duke University, graduating Cum Laude. He earned an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in International Economics and American Foreign Policy. Mr. Townsend received a direct commission in the U.S. Navy Reserve (intelligence) leaving the Reserves as a Lieutenant Commander.
Areas of Expertise: