Jim Peters

Jim Peters is a vice president and the general counsel at Plan International USA, an international humanitarian and development organization that partners with adolescent girls and children around the world to overcome oppression and gender inequality, providing the support and resources that are unique to their needs and the needs of their communities, ensuring they achieve their full potential with dignity, opportunity and safety.

Jim has 33 years of international legal and management experience. His work at Plan touches on governance, risk management, innovation and a variety of programming and fundraising.

Prior to Plan, Jim spent 22 years at USAID as an ethics and employment lawyer in the Office of the General Counsel, eventually becoming assistant general counsel and the designated agency ethics official. He also served in several senior management positions at overseas missions, and as assistant deputy administrator for the Bureau of Education, Economic Development, and the Environment. There, he was named as the acting global water coordinator, and was responsible for leading and implementing the first-ever U.S. Global Water Strategy. His work at USAID earned him the prestigious Distinguished Service Award.

Before USAID, he served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force, specifically handling the prosecutions of crimes against children.

Jim has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and juris doctor from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the Bar of the State of Illinois. 

In his free time, Jim likes to travel and cook, and he enjoys the outdoors and exploring historic sites. Jim lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his husband Mark and their dog Kona, who they adopted when they served for USAID in Pakistan.