Born and raised mostly in the eastern U.S., John first discovered Oregon’s spectacular central coast in the mid-1990s while living in Florence and serving as the city’s community development director. He and his wife, Kathy, also enjoyed their stops for great coffee in Yachats on day trips with their two young children. However, the missing family eventually drew them back to the Philadelphia area where John joined the Brandywine Conservancy, a non-profit land trust focused on protecting the Brandywine watershed, the sole drinking water source for Wilmington, DE. For the next two decades, John directed the Conservancy’s municipal assistance program and guided his staff in innovative growth management and environmental resource protection. He also volunteered with his community’s planning commission and served as chair for several years.
In early 2019, John and Kathy revisited coastal Oregon as a possible area to retire and rediscovered Yachats’ walkability, a diverse mix of shops and services, and immediate access to world-renowned recreational resources. They settled in a new Yachats home in late October 2020 while continuing to work remotely. John retired from the Conservancy at the end of 2020, and once COVID restrictions eased and the Yachats’ trails committee resumed Saturday workdays, he joined the committee and met so many wonderful people committed to improving their community. Several were also active with View the Future, and its mission and successful conservation work closely aligned with John’s expertise and interests. And as they say, the “rest is history”.
As a Board member, John contributes his expertise by increasing VtF’s collaborative relationships with the city, county, state, and federal agencies, and other conservation organizations through sound land use planning, watershed protection, restoration, and resource conservation. In 2022 he accepted the position of Co-Chair of VtF serving with Joanne Kittel where his experience and leadership continue to benefit the organization. He feels extremely fortunate to live in a community where so many of its residents give freely of their time and talents to protect this area’s fragile resources, increase public recreational access, and sustain a high quality of life.
