Jim Blanchard has dedicated his life to public service and law, having served with distinction as governor of the State of Michigan, a member of the United States Congress, and United States ambassador to Canada. Upon conclusion of his duties in Canada, he was presented with the Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Award for Distinguished Public Service.

Jim Blanchard is currently senior counsel and chair emeritus of government affairs at the global law firm of DLA Piper. He also serves as co-chair of the Ambassadors Circle at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), co-chair of the Canada-US Law Institute, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. In 2015, Jim and Janet Blanchard founded the Governor Jim Blanchard Public Service Forum at Michigan State University which hosts distinguished public servants, authors, and journalists in East Lansing. In 1997, he authored “Behind the Embassy Door,” highlighting his experiences as an ambassador to Canada.