James "Spike" Stephenson is a retired senior Foreign Service officer with twenty-eight years’ experience in rebuilding states at war or recovering from war. He was USAID mission director in Lebanon and in Serbia and Montenegro prior to assuming he position in Iraq. He also served in Egypt, Grenada, and El Salvador. A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Stephenson is a recognized expert on post-conflict transition, civilian-military cooperation, and counterinsurgency. Currently he is a senior adviser for security and development at Creative Associates International, Inc. He lives near Charlottesville, Virginia.