Time spent in Germany while a student at Denver University helped Class of 1969 Salutatorian Jim Bean focus his sights on the State Department and the Foreign Service.

With a law degree from DU, Jim began his Foreign Service career as a Consular Officer in Mexico City in 1982.  His career path as a political analyst took him to future postings in Germany and Israel, as well as time spent in various State Department positions in Washington, DC.  He was in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down, he was part of a 24/7 task force helping to coordinate the US response to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, and he was the escort officer for former Secretary of State James Baker at the White House signing ceremony for the Oslo Accords which at the time established a peace process for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Over the years, Jim participated in pre-planning and conducting numerous trips for five US presidents and their Secretaries of State.  In 2001 he earned a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College.

Other career highlights include Jim’s work helping to promote democracy, educational reform, women’s empowerment, and economic development while eliminating social unrest or civil war in locations including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cuba, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.  He directed the preparation of all-source analyses on US foreign policy priorities involving Germany, France, the UK, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic for senior US policymakers.  In his last full-time position, Jim was Director of the Office of Civilian Police and Rule of Law Programs that provided policy and program direction for $250 million foreign assistance promoting the rule of law in Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, Sudan, and the West Bank.  Jim retired from the Foreign Service in 2009. In semi-retirement, he worked on State Department refugee and immigration issues in addition to rule of law programs.

Jim, now fully retired, is married to Diane and is the father of two children, Galen and Lauren.