Jim Atchison

Jim was born, raised and educated in eastern Montana. He graduated from Dawson College and Montana State University in Bozeman with degrees in business. After spending 16 years out-of-state successfully operating retail stores and companies, he returned to Montana in 2000.

Since September 2001, Jim has been the Executive Director of Southeastern Montana Development Corporation (SEMDC), a regional non-profit economic development organization that was established in 1997 to simulate and encourage economic activity in the four (4) Counties of Custer, Powder River, Rosebud, and Treasure. 

Jim is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council and graduated from the state-wide Leadership Montana Program .  He has served on the Governor's Economic Development Advisory Council for 12 years and is also a Board Member of the MT Economic Developers Association. In 2020, Jim was awarded the “Anthony J. Preite “Champion of Economic Development” Award from the Montana Economic Developers Association.