In Memoriam: James Kim
This issue of the Survey of Current Business is dedicated to James Kim, editor-in-chief of the Survey and our friend and colleague for over 14 years, who passed away on November 28th.
After starting at the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in 2004, James immediately began to improve and revamp the Survey, taking the flagship journal from a traditional print publication to the fully online product it is today. During his tenure at BEA, he received numerous accolades and garnered respect from everyone on the Survey staff as well as from authors and other colleagues. Most recently, James received a BEA Employee Excellence Award for his “outstanding leadership and vision for the continued success of the Survey of Current Business.”
More significant than his dedication to his profession was his dedication to his family. A loving and devoted husband and father, who relished time spent with his family, James is survived by his wife of 18 years and their two daughters.
A truly special person, he will be remembered for his kindness, quick wit, humble nature, and infectious sense of humor.
In addition to his work on the Survey, James served as deputy chief of the BEA Communications Division (CD). He also led the CD Publications Services Branch, expanding its outreach across the Bureau and beyond; he was very much an official spokesperson of BEA, known as a voice for innovation, strong design, and clear prose. Most notably, he served as principal editor for The Promise of Evidence-Based Policymaking, the high-profile report of the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking, established by the U.S. Congress.
Prior to working at BEA, James served as communications director at the Software and Information Industry Association and for a period as an editor and content director at Folio Investing. He was a financial writer for the Money Desk at USA Today for 11 years. He started his career as a news clerk at the New York Times and as a reporter at other regional newspapers across the country. James attended Duke University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a double degree in economics and political science.
