Jim McKinney is the owner of Apple Mountain LLC, a small strategy and development consulting firm. He is an Independent Director for Saturna Capital, and a volunteer for numerous local non-profit community youth organizations.
Lieutenant Colonel McKinney retired as a US Army Foreign Area Officer (Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asian focus) with over 30 years of service in 2013. He enlisted in 1980 as a Private E1, and was commissioned in 1990 as an intelligence officer. He served in infantry, special operations, counter-terror, hostage-rescue and counter-WMD tactical assignments. He has served in Afghanistan, Europe, South and Central America, the Balkans, Middle East, former Soviet Union, Asia and Central Asia, parts of Africa and the Caucuses and in multiple combat zones.
Strategically, Jim served as a Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché and Security Assistance Officer for US Embassies, and as a leader, advisor and analyst in numerous global assignments. Notably, he was the Deputy Chief of Combating Terrorism for US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center, the director of intelligence (J2) for JSOTF-Philippines, a commander and operations officer at the Aerospace Data facility, a Night Stalker (NSDQ), and an Intelligence Officer in Berlin during the collapse of the Soviet Union. He retired as a Political-Military Advisor to the Commander, US Army Central in the Middle East in 2013.
Jim continues to support U.S. national security interests. He recently returned from Afghanistan where he coordinated Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations for US Special Operations Forces and Allied Train and Assist partners.
Jim has a Bachelor’s in Government from California State University, Sacramento, and Master’s in International Studies from the University of Washington’s Jackson School. He was a Senior Fellow at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies, attended Joint Forces Staff College and US Army Command and General Staff College. He speaks Russian, and was awarded with numerous medals including the Legion of Merit and the National Intelligence Medal. He is married to a former US Diplomat, Laura Leventis McKinney. They have 5 gifted and wonderful children, and now call Washington State home.
We don’t waste our time with people who don’t share the characteristics of above average intelligence; open mindedness; and a high level of honesty. Jim has all of these attributes and will be with our radio program as long as it exists.