James H. Dykstra grew up in a Dutch American farming community in southeastern Wisconsin. He has worked closely with the Dutch embassy for a number of years. Both of his grandfathers were born in the Netherlands, and he still has relatives living in Groningen.

In 2020, Jim was appointed Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau. He has been active with the NAF and has worked with the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for decades.

Jim is currently a board member of the Netherland-America Foundation and he has also been member of it’s Executive Committe. He is a member of the Washington, DC. Chapter Leadership and has been chair of the dinner committee for the annual Netherland-America Foundation Ambassadors’ Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. For the past few years, he has been on the selection committee for Dutch students who are recipients of scholarship assistance from funds raised at that dinner for summer study and internships in Washington, DC.

Jim has over five decades of experience in senior positions on Capitol Hill, in the executive branch and in the private sector. He has concentrated on foreign policy and defense issues and has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs (Senate) and Republican Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. While working for the United States Congress, he held positions in the Senate and House of Representatives as Chief of Staff, Committee Staff Director and Professional Staff Member, Legislative Director, Legislative Assistant, and Press Secretary. Since leaving government service, he has specialized in federal program and funding issues.

A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Managers in Government program, Jim is past president of the House of Representatives Chiefs of Staff Alumni Association and continues on its board. While on the Hill, he was on the board of the House Administrative Assistants Association.

In recognition of his leadership positions during his public service career, he was selected in its inaugural class as a Stennis Fellow by the Stennis Center for Public Service, which recognized him with the Thomas A. Daffron Senior Stennis Fellow Service Award. Jim has received the Distinguished Young Alumni and Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Jim is a recipient of the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, as well as the Defense Department’s Outstanding Public Service Medal and the Central Intelligence Agency’s Agency Seal Medallion. He is a life member of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion, serving as 2nd Vice Commander of American Legion Post 270 in McLean, VA.

Jim has served as Clerk of Session at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Arlington, VA, and has served multiple terms as elder at Trinity. He and his wife, the former Susan Pitts, reside in McLean, VA. They have two sons, Case and Gregory.