Seidel Chapter

Membership Meeting

Jim Smith served as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2013 and remains a keen observer of events in the Middle East. He is a frequent guest on national news programs and speaker at international conferences.

Prior to his diplomatic service, Jim served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force as an F-15 pilot and wing commander. He flew combat missions in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm and retired as a Brigadier General in 2002. Jim was a senior executive with Raytheon and served as Executive Vice President and Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics at Southern New Hampshire University. Currently he serves as President of the National War College Alumni Association and is the CEO of Crosswinds Strategic Consulting, focusing on business, education, healthcare and women’s initiatives in the Middle East.

He'll be accompanied by his wife, Dr Janet Breslin Smith, who has a distinguished career as an educator and expert on defense and political issues. Notably, Janet was in the initial cadre of family members who returned to Saudi Arabia after the evacuation of dependents after 9/11 and was quite active in the evolution of education and women’s rights in the kingdom.