John & team distributing dictionaries in Antigua.
John also works with numerous non-profits and twice was a Rotary Club President. In 2005 he started a Rotary project in conjunction with the Bellevue School district to install computer labs in schools. Over 6,000 computers have been donated and installed in Slovakia, Turkey, Antigua, and Barbuda. Rotary’s philosophy is go narrow and deep so we keep helping the people of Antigua We’ve also been able to distribute over 9,000 dictionaries to third-grade students, and following Rotary’s mandate of “Training and Sustainability” we initiated a teacher training program so Antiguan teachers can better use technology to reach their students. We (John’s wife Jan) have also set up eight sewing centers, donated sewing machines, and provided sewing lessons to teach ladies living in high-poverty areas the skill of sewing (they use these skills to make their family clothes, school uniforms, and items they can sell).
In the summer of 2022 we had our 17th Rotary Global Grant approved. The total benefit of these projects is well over $3,500,000.
- Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, president in 2011-12
- Rotary District 5030 Leadership Council (Membership Chair 2008-2009)
- Hopelink Executive Leadership Council
- Northwest Student Exchange ― Board of Directors
- Computers for the World ― Board of Directors
- Northwest Venture Group (now NW Entrepreneur Network), Board of Directors 1996-2002
- National Speakers Association Pacific Northwest Chapter (Former Board member)
- Society for Advancement of Consulting, Charter Member
- Seattle Executives Association board member 2017-18