James (J) Meere, CAP '86
Teacher, Software Engineer
J graduated from Boston College’s School of Education majoring in mathematics in 1971. For three years he taught math while earning a master’s degree from UNH then moved to Europe and continued teaching math in Norway, Paris, and Brussels. When J returned to the US, he taught in Harwich for a year before going to work at Houghton Mifflin in Boston as a mathematics editor. While at Houghton Mifflin, he earned a Certificate in Applied Science for Software Engineering at Harvard’s Extension School. J continued working at Houghton Mifflin but changed from the editorial staff to their software development staff to provide support in the development of grammar and multi-lingual spelling verifiers. In 1994, J moved to Cairo, Egypt, where he lived for 5½ years working for the Ministry of Health. Shortly after 9/11, J worked at the Pentagon for several years, then moved on to the EPA, and then to the VA. He and his wife, Paula, have been married for 52 years and have two children. Their son, Aaron, lives and works in San Diego, and their daughter, Natasha, lives in Marion and provides IT and marketing support. J has been an avid runner his entire life and is a wannabe drummer. In retirement he enjoys working with computers, attending lectures, studying languages, and traveling.