Senior Diplomatic Advisor
James McGee is the Senior Diplomatic Advisor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. In this capacity, Mr. McGee assists the director in representational responsibilities at conferences, events, and official functions in Washington, elsewhere in the United States, in Africa and Europe.
A career diplomat, Mr. McGee was U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe from October 2007 to August 2009. Prior to his nomination, he served as Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar (2004-2007) and as Ambassador to Swaziland (2002-2004). While serving as Ambassador to Madagascar, he also served as Ambassador to the Union of the Comoros (2006-2007).
Mr. McGee began his career in the Foreign Service in 1981 and served as Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the American Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1986, he served as Administrative Officer at the American Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan. Mr. McGee served as Second Secretary and Supervisory General Services Officer at the American Embassy in The Hague, The Netherlands, from 1986 to 1989. From 1989 to 1991, he served as Administrative Officer at the American Consulate General in Bombay, India.
Mr. McGee was assigned to the U.S. Department of State as a Special Assistant in the Bureau of Finance and Management Policy from 1991 to 1992. In early 1992, he volunteered for duty at the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados. He served as Administrative Counselor at the American Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, from 1995 to 1998, and as Administrative Counselor at the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 1998 to 2001.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. McGee is a graduate of Indiana University. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1974 and completed Vietnamese-language studies at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Mr. McGee earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his duty in Vietnam.