Jim Gannon is a senior fellow at JCIE/USA, and he writes on US-Asia relations, global health, development, and civil society. He joined JCIE/USA in 2001 and served as its executive director for two decades until April 2021,  creating and leading a wide range of initiatives designed to strengthen US-Japan relations and encourage deeper international cooperation. Previously, he conducted research with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and, from 1992 to 1994, he taught English in rural Japanese middle schools as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program.

Jim received a BA from the University of Notre Dame, carried out graduate research at Ehime University in Japan, and has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He serves as vice chair of the board of the US JET Program Alumni Association and was a fellow with the US-Japan Network for the Future. Jim also is the co-editor of A Growing Force: Civil Society’s Role in Asian Regional Security (2013) and Looking for Leadership: The Dilemma of Political Leadership in Japan (2015), and he has authored numerous articles and reports about US-Japan relations, Asia’s evolving regional order, and the role of NGOs in international affairs.