James Oliver directs the Sri Lanka office as a senior advisor for NDI's Asia team. Earlier for the Institute, Mr. Oliver served as NDI's resident director in Bangladesh, East Timor, and Liberia, and undertook short-term assignments in Bosnia, Macedonia and Nigeria. Immediately before joining the Institute in 1997, Oliver served as the Peace Corps country director in Suriname and Guyana where he opened new programs in both countries, established offices, hired local and international staff, negotiated volunteer assignments and designed volunteer training. A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Oliver settled in Maine and was elected to the state's House of Representatives for eight years, serving on the Education Committee and the State Select Committee for Corrections. During that time he introduced and sponsored legislation dealing with the environment, gun control, labor, gender issues, civil rights and education. He also founded a nonprofit organization that worked in low-income neighborhoods in Portland. As executive director for 22 years, Mr. Oliver developed and managed programs related to youth, the elderly, education and low-income housing.
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