A founding partner in Summit Strategies, Jim Kolb brings over 25 years of advocacy, policy development and implementation experience to the team. Jim has served in senior positions in both the public and private sectors, providing strategic counsel, direct advocacy, and innovative solutions to clients’ federal transportation, infrastructure, construction, and labor and employee benefit policy needs.
Prior to founding Summit Strategies in 2015, Jim served as Staff Director to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which is responsible for oversight and policy related to federal highway, highway safety, and public transportation programs. In this capacity, he played a key role in developing and negotiating Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). He also played a key role with the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s special panels on Freight and Public-Private Partnerships.
Jim has held high-level positions in both public and private sector organizations. He served as Vice President of Congressional Relations for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), where he played a key role in the organization’s efforts to advocate and communicate the transportation construction industries’ policies and led the organization’s legislative efforts during the development of the 2005 legislation reauthorizing of the nation’s surface transportation programs. As Director of the U.S. DOT’s Office of Congressional Affairs, he served a member of the Department’s senior leadership team, advising the Secretary and DOT leadership on legislative and congressional developments, and coordinating legislative activities related to the Department’s budget and passage of the major transportation legislation. He was also a legislative representative with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
In addition to his work at Summit Strategies, Jim served from 2017-2024 as a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), which is responsible for long-range transportation project planning, prioritization, and funding decisions for regional transportation projects in Northern Virginia.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Jim graduated from the University of Buffalo with a B.A. in Political Science, and received a Masters of Public Policy from George Mason University. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Molly.