We will now be meeting at the Montgomery County Republican Party Headquarters: 

Montgomery County Republican Party

1817A Madison Street

Suite 1

(There is additional parking in back.)

We will start as usual at 9:45 am, with the business meeting to start at 10:00.  Breakfast will not be served but there will be a coffee bar and donuts.

If you plan to attend please RSVP to Cathy Kolb  by noon on Thursday prior to the meeting so we know how many chairs we need.  You can reach her at (931) 801-6954 or email at cathykolb@reagan.com  (Text is best, just be sure to tell her who you are in case she doesn’t recognize the number)

Our Speaker for June – James Amundsen

Americans For Prosperity

James Amundsen is the Deputy State Director for the Tennessee chapter of Americans For Prosperity (AFP), one of the most influential conservative advocacy groups in the country.  A long-time conservative political activist himself, James began volunteering with the organization in 2013 before officially joining the team in 2016.  He manages the chapter’s staff and is responsible for its statewide grassroots operations.  He is a registered lobbyist for state government affairs and leads AFP-Tennessee’s health care policy initiatives. 

James’ path to Tennessee was not simple or easy, though.  He was born in Germany as a Yugoslavian citizen before his family immigrated to the United States in 1978.  His mother’s decision to escape communist Yugoslavia and seek a better life would later inform James’ politics and inspire his love of liberty and service to the country.  James graduated from high school in North Carolina and received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to study electrical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  James later served six years on active duty in the United States Air Force and was deployed three times for combat air operations during Operations Southern Watch, Desert Strike, and Allied Force.  For his service, James was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, three Air Force Achievement Medals, and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor.

Following active duty, James moved to Nashville to accept an engineering position with AGFA Health Care, a European information technology company that specializes in medical imaging solutions.  Although his involvement in politics began soon after he left the military, James spent over 16 years in the health care industry before pursuing a full-time career in public policy.  During that time, James served in a variety of civic, charitable, and political organizations, often in a leadership position, where he focused primarily on local and state issues.  He even sought public office on two occasions, albeit unsuccessfully.  Thankfully, he had much greater success managing other candidates and their campaigns, which eventually led to a short tenure in state government.

After Governor Lee’s inauguration in 2019, James was appointed to the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services (TDVS) as its Chief of Staff.  James was tasked with streamlining many of TDVS’s existing projects and processes while creating a 4-year strategic plan to improve the state’s overall veteran outreach and advocacy programs during the governor’s first term.  This included integrating support for the VA Mission Act—a major reform to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health services—long advocated by AFP and its partner organization, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).  James also ushered the final acceptance of the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Bradley County and hosted its much overdue ground-breaking ceremony.  James left TDVS to return to his previous role with AFP in late 2019, but his passion for veterans’ affairs continues through his on-going role as a consultant to CVA and as a past commander for the American Legion.

James currently resides in Franklin, TN, with his wife, Molly, and their two sons, Kristoffer and Behr.