James V. Kimsey

James V. Kimsey

"Lieutenant Kimsey served as an airborne ranger in the United States Army. He participated in the U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic and served two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he acquired a working knowledge of the Vietnamese language and a lifelong affection for the Vietnamese people.

"During his first tour in Vietnam, from 1965 to 1966, Kimsey -- now a Captain -- commanded a District Advisory Team in the village of Duc Pho, in Quang Ngai province. The previous team had been wiped out by Vietcong guerrillas. In memory of his late predecessor, the young Captain supervised the construction and operation of an orphanage, which he has continued to support for over 30 years, long after the area fell to the Communists in 1975.

"During his second tour of duty from 1968 to 1969, Captain -- now Major -- Kimsey served as Assistant to the Commanding General of Special Operations at Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Although he left the service in 1969, James Kimsey maintains an active interest in America's national security through his membership in the Joint Special Operations Forces Institute Advisory Board.

"On his return to the United States, Kimsey embarked on a business career, investing in restaurants, financial service companies, information technology and real estate. He was one of the founders of United Financial Companies whose subsidiaries include The Business Bank.

"In 1985 he founded Quantum Computer Services. He enlisted the services of Steve Case in running the company, and in 1990 changed the name of the operation to America Online, Inc. ... For the first decade, James Kimsey served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AOL, but in 1995, he turned over day-to-day responsibility for AOL's operations to Steve Case.

"In addition to his work for America Online, Kimsey serves on the boards of Capital One Bank, EduCap, Inc., the advisory boards of Batterson Venture Partners, Lafayette Equity Fund, and is a consultant to Nanophase Technologies Corporation.

"In 1997, James Kimsey resigned from the Board of Directors of AOL to run the AOL Foundation, a new philanthropic organization with AOL backing. At the time. Kimsey still owned more than a million shares of AOL stock, worth more than $78.8 million. The Foundation provides money to parents and educators for online learning and supports nonprofit organizations for which AOL employees serve as volunteers. ...

"James Kimsey continues to make his home in the Washington, DC area, where he was born and raised. His other activities in the charitable sector include participation in the boards of Innisfree, a community for adults with mental disabilities, the National Stroke Association, Big Brothers of the National Capital Area, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Campaign to Rebuild Education in Washington." 

James is also on the Advisory Council of the American Ditchley Foundation, is a director of Triple Canopy Inc. and Business Executives for National Security, id an Emeritus Director of Refugees International, and sits on the advisory board of the Children's Scholarship Fund.


 * Trustee, American Film Institute
 * Commissioner, International Commission on Missing Persons
 * Member, Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Latin America
 * Senior Fellow, Defense Business Board