James Meier

James Meier, immediate past chair of the AJWS board of trustees, is president of Arete Corporation, a management consulting firm that works with government, nonprofit agencies, school systems and colleges/universities, all sectors in which Jim worked prior to founding Arete in 1991. After earning his B.A. in art history at Williams College, Jim served in the Peace Corps for two years in India. His program resulted in an overhaul of science teaching in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. He also holds a doctorate in Education and a master's degree in Urban Planning, both from Columbia University. Jim is married to Rabbi Judith Edelstein; his daughter Joslyn works in Uganda and son Jacob is in NYC. Jim competes in open water swimming and cross-country skiing marathons, in recent years raising funds for AJWS through pledges for his swims around Manhattan and, in 2010, the English Channel. He is also on the Board of Search for Common Ground. Jim joined the AJWS board of trustees in 2001.