The Honorable James Kolbe United States Representative Arizona (retired)

James Kolbe

James Kolbe

James (Jim) Kolbe, former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, was elected to the Board of Trustees for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in April of 1978. He serves as a member of the Committee on Trustees, the Finance Committee and the Student Life Committee.

Mr. Kolbe attended the Capitol Page School in Washington, DC in 1960 and went on to attend the Northwestern University, where he received his B.A. degree in Political Science in 1965. He received his MBA degree in Economics from Stanford University in 1967. Prior to receiving his MBA, he studied abroad with the International School of America.

Mr. Kolbe served in the U. S. Navy from 1967 to 1969, including active duty in Vietnam.

Mr. Kolbe began his political career as a U.S. Senate Page, sponsored by Senator Barry M. Goldwater (Arizona) from 1958 to 1960. He served in 1972 as a Special Assistant to Governor Richard Ogilvie (Illinois) for Capital Programs. From 1973 until 1984 he was Vice President of Wood Canyon Corporation, a land planning and development firm in Tucson.

Mr. Kolbe served in the Arizona State Senate from 1976 to 1982, where he was Majority Whip and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In November 1984, he was elected to the House of Representatives as a Congressman from the State of Arizona and served through January 4, 2007. Mr. Kolbe served as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, chaired the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, and was a senior member of both the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary, and on the Subcommittee on Interior.

His community activities include being a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Food Bank and the Board of Directors of Casa de Los Ninos Crisis Nursery.