John is a fifth-generation Kansan, raised on a dairy and wheat farm near Bushton. John attended rural Holy Name Grade School and graduated from Bushton High School. John was one of small-town Scoutmaster Lawrence Timmons’ 40 Eagle Scouts. John graduated from Kansas State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

John worked in the natural gas pipeline business as an engineer and in field operations management. John started work in Great Bend, eventually working in Omaha, and Bushton for Northern Natural Gas and in Pratt for Kansas Gas Service

John and his wife Tammy have lived and raised their family in Ellinwood. He has been active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, youth religion classes and church groups, kids’ rec league coaching and in his church. He has served on the boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Great Bend Community Theatre and as a Barton County Economic Development Planning Team member. He is currently in his eleventh year as an Ellinwood School Board member.