About John

John has been fighting for Tompkins County and it's residents since moving here 45 years ago.

Personal Background

John grew up in the eastern US gaining lifelong passions for the environment and social justice. He considers himself a humanitarian in his approach to the world.
John has been a Tompkins County resident for 45 years and a Lansing resident for 33 years.
Throughout his professional career in agriculture, education, conservation, refugee relief, and real estate, John has enjoyed listening to stakeholders and taking a multidisciplinary approach to planning, project management and project evaluation. Central to his work has been economic and environmental sustainability; he consistently seeks to stimulate discourse and understanding, and seeks results that improve the quality of life for the communities involved. The unifying theme in this work has been devising better strategies to enable communities to live more sustainably within their current landscapes and natural resources as risks increase from climate change, population growth, competition for resources, and political uncertainty and conflict.

Degrees

Early Experience

1970s: Peace Corps volunteer, Chiangmai University, Northern Thailand, testing and extension of Green Revolution cropping technology
1980, Oxfam America: Cambodia, cross-border famine relief project
1985, Oxfam America: seed distribution in Sudan to refugees returning to Eritrea and Ethiopia

Post-Cornell PhD:

Laos, socioeconomist with Asian Development Bank, designed agricultural research strategy for a moribund communist economy transitioning to become market-based
Switzerland: Worldwide Fund for Nature International, program officer, worked with conservation NGOs in mainland Southeast Asia
Cambodia: 1992-93, United Nations Development Program, team leader of multidisciplinary team supporting Cambodia’s new Ministry of Environment
Madagascar: Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development; with USAID funding, promoted sustainable management of Ranomafana National Park in SE Madagascar
Belize: 1995-96, Launched the Golden Stream Conservation Corridor project in southern Belize, which extends from mangrove habitat on the Caribbean westward into the Maya Mountains
Subsequent consulting work has involved implementation or evaluation of development, relief, or conservation projects in Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Liberia
2017, Cofounder with Brian Eden: Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) to protect the water quality of Cayuga Lake

Worked construction as a teenager.
In May 1968, built residential lean-tos on the National Mall (Resurrection City) Poor Peoples’ Campaign (and listened to fiery speeches by Rev. Jesse Jackson)
Managed residential rental properties for decades with a current focus on indoor air quality and decarbonization.
Taught college-level macroeconomics at Auburn Correctional Facility
Currently a board member of an education technology company, panOpen Education

Tompkins County Environmental Management Council: represented the Village of Lansing for >10 years. Chaired Environmental Review Committee of the EMC
Village of Lansing Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) member for several years
Women’s Swimmin’: Kayak Safety Team, member, 2022-present; escort Paddler, 2013-2021
Finger Lakes Land Trust, member, donor for acquisition of Sims-Jennings Preserve and the Bell Station parcel in Lansing
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, member of Issues Committee, 2022-present
Village of Cayuga Heights: volunteer firefighter and EMT, early 1980s
Emergency medical aid: delivered Medical Assistance Program travel packs of emergency medicines to hospitals and clinics in Haiti, Liberia, Afghanistan, Laos, & Vietnam

I have the skills and experience to work creatively at the County level to balance economic growth and protection of our natural resources in an era of global warming. I am honored to have the opportunity to follow the legacy of progressive values and economic stewardship of Deborah Dawson and her predecessor Dooley Kiefer.
As federal and state funding of County government becomes more constrained, funding of County Government services to residents from all walks of life will need to become increasingly transparent and needs-based.
With as much as two-thirds of the 2026 Legislature being new legislators, fresh approaches to leadership and problem-solving will provide an opportunity to be innovative, consultative, and consensual while seeking to minimize harm from regressive policies in Washington.
As an entrepreneur in both the real estate and education sectors, I look forward to working with my future colleagues on the Legislature to ensure that Tompkins County remains a growing and dynamic community that respects all people regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation or immigration status.