Vision and Values

John and his wife Anne live in the beautiful Between the Hills valley, next to the Windchase horse farm and within hailing distance of the 868 and Breaux wineries. He is an avid Virginia Master Naturalist who enjoys deer hunting, bird-watching, hiking, canoeing, brewing beer with his home-grown hops, and trying to keep the bears from eating Anne’s chickens.

John’s father is a pastor and his mother is a teacher. He was raised to value community service. He has two talented, hardworking daughters and a smart, feisty grand-daughter.

John grew up in small towns in South Dakota and Michigan. As a teenager, he delivered newspapers by bicycle, picked grapes in Michigan’s vineyards, and worked on a Teamsters loading dock. He led extended backpacking trips in the Great Smokies and Grand Canyon. He has a life-long passion for the wilderness and open spaces.

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John and Anne graduated from Carleton College in rural Minnesota. After graduating from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, John joined the U.S. diplomatic corps and became an international trade negotiator. Among other assignments, he fought to maintain U.S. agricultural producers’ access to European and Chinese markets.

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John has been a tireless advocate for keeping rural Loudoun rural.

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Soon after moving to Loudoun in 2015, he co-founded the citizens’ organization Save Rural Loudoun. He serves on the Board of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, is an associate member of the Farm Bureau and has represented rural interests in dozens of meetings with County supervisors, Planning Commissioners, and staff.

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John is also a member of Loudoun County’s Fiscal Impact Committee, which monitors the impact of residential and commercial development on the County’s ballooning budget.

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