James "Jim" Dinegar has been a national figure in business community advocacy for more than 35 years. As president and CEO of the Greater Washington Board of Trade for 11 years, he was instrumental in building a thriving business community in the DMV region.

More recently, Jim was the inaugural director of the Center for Business in the Capital at the Kogod School of Business at American University. Earlier in his career, he was chief operating officer at the American Institute of Architects and held senior roles with the Building Owners and Managers Association and the American Society of Association Executives. Jim chairs the Governance Committee for MedStar’s National Rehabilitation Network and is a member of APCO Worldwide's International Advisory Council. Among several board appointments, he also chaired the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo Advisory Board and served on the Board of ASAE.

As principal of Dinegar Strategic Partners, LLC, Jim has worked with clients including Boeing Corp. as a strategic adviser focused on navigating local government, regional civic engagement and regional charitable giving.

Jim holds a B.A. in History from Catholic University of America.