Jim Krugman joined the School of Public Affairs as a lecturer in 2014 and served from 2018-2020 as a lecturer and Emergency Management Practitioner in Residence. He currently instructs two graduate courses in the Emergency Management and Homeland Security concentration as well as serving as a Second Reader for student Capstones.

He retired in 2012 after 36 years with the USDA Forest Service as a professional forester, fire and hazardous fuels mitigation specialist, natural resource manager, wildfire/disaster instructor and agency administrator in multiple western states. In 2000, he moved to the Regional Headquarters in Lakewood as the Regional branch director of fire operations, safety and training; and later as a program manager for the mountain pine beetle epidemic response. Concurrently, he served as a national wildland practitioner, including extended assignments to Hurricane Katrina and Ivan and other all-hazard events. 

He joined the Denver Fire Department full-time in 2016 as its wildland fire program manager following four years with the Denver Office of Emergency Management as an emergency management coordinator for training and exercises. 

Jim holds a BS in Forest Management Science from Colorado State University, an Associate’s Degree in Emergency Management and Planning from Red Rocks Community College, and a Certificate in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the University of Colorado Denver. He is a former lecturer for the Arizona State University’s Emergency Management MPA program and currently serves as the emergency management module leader for the CU Denver School of Public Affairs-hosted Certified Public Manager program. He regularly presents on forest health, wildfire and climate change related issues. He has been a Colorado Certified Emergency Manager since 2014.