James W. Grant
![]() |
James W. Grant | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd district | |
In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991 | |
Preceded by | Don Fuqua |
Succeeded by | Douglas Peterson |
Personal details | |
Born | Lake City, Florida, U.S. | February 21, 1943
Political party | Democratic (before 1989) Republican (since 1989) |
Occupation | Banking |
James William "Bill" Grant (born September 21, 1943) is an American banker and former politician from Madison, Florida.
A graduate of Florida State University, he attended the University of Florida for graduate studies. He represented Florida's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. Congress from 1987 to 1991. After being elected as a Democrat from the Tallahassee-based 2nd District to succeed 12-term Democrat Don Fuqua, he switched parties to become a Republican on February 21, 1989.
He was defeated for reelection in U.S. House election, 1990 by Douglas Peterson, and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 1992, losing to incumbent Bob Graham. He is a fifth generation Floridian whose family has lived in North Florida since before statehood. He is a former Member of the Florida State Senate and the United States Congress and his party’s nominee to the U.S. Senate. Prior to beginning his political career, he organized and ran several North Florida commercial banks and was twice elected president of the Florida Bankers Association. [citation needed]
After leaving politics, he organized and is now CEO of MK Meridian, Inc, an international conflict resolution, trade, and diplomatic advisory firm. In that capacity, he has mediated numerous sovereign and commercial conflicts across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He helped organize the United Africa Association, a 13-nation effort for promoting pan-African self-help, free-enterprise capitalism, and democracy. [citation needed]
In 1997, with the assistance of the government of Egypt, he negotiated the end to the first Somali civil war and authored a draft constitutional government for that nation. He has been the senior advisor to two sovereign foreign governments and twice served as Special United States Congressional Envoy to international trouble spots. He served as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Chemical, LLC, a multi-faceted chemical production facility in Ukraine with 11,000 employees and a worldwide market. [citation needed]
Family
Grant is married to the former Janet Krawiec; they have two children; Madison Kathleen and Kinsey Regan. He has two children from a previous marriage: John Alan and Carter Richmond. [citation needed]
See also
- List of American politicians who switched parties in office
- List of United States Representatives who switched parties
External links
- United States Congress. "James W. Grant (id: G000382)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1943 births
- American bankers
- Florida State University alumni
- Living people
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
- People from Madison, Florida
- University of Florida alumni
- Florida Republicans
- Florida Democrats
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- People from Lake City, Florida