| James Bass was born in Belfast and raised in Portland. He graduated magna cum laude from Bowdoin College in 2002 and earned his law degree from University of Maine School of Law in 2006. James joined the U.S. Army upon graduation from law school and practiced as a Judge Advocate in the JAG Corps for nearly six years. He was stationed at Fort Sill, OK and Washington, DC. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan as a legal advisor with a joint special operations task force. He is a recipient of both Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal. After leaving active duty, James joined the Maine Army National Guard where he currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. James engages in an active government relations practice, working with state and local decision makers to create solutions on his clients' behalf. He has a broad array of legislative and executive branch lobbying experience as well as representing clients before Maine's administrative agencies. He advocates for Fortune 100 companies, national and state trade associations, and private businesses located in Maine and across the country. James has a common sense and pragmatic approach to problem solving and is effective at building coalitions and stakeholder groups. In 2017, James co-founded Cushnoc Brewing Co. in Augusta, Maine with three friends. Cushnoc is a craft brewery and wood-fired pizza restaurant helping reinvigorate downtown Augusta. Active in the community, James serves on the boards of the Kennebec Valley YMCA, the Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals and the Capitol Planning Commission.
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