John feels blessed for his spouse, Kate Knopp, whose patience for his energy is almost without limit. Their hearts are filled with their children, Acadia and Eliot. John still manages to do some singing and strives to embrace and remain grumpy about the aging process.

On the professional side, after working as a commercial banker to schools, hospitals, and non-profits, John began his career serving independent schools in 1990, when he served as development director at his alma mater, Moses Brown School (RI). John served as Associate Director of CITYterm, an experiential semester program at The Masters School (NY), as director of summer programs and leadership education at Miss Porter's School (CT), and as Head of School at The Independent Day School, a PK-8th grade day school in CT. At IDS, he strengthened educational design through increased collaborative teaching and substantiated assessment practices and he refinanced and renovated the campus. Since 2013, John has served as Director of Admission & Financial Aid at the Putney School (VT), one of the most progressive boarding schools in the U.S..

John has been invested in service to non-profits, most especially schools. John currently serves as a trustee for the Small Boarding Schools Association and for High Meadow Farm (NH); his former board service includes boarding and day schools, national educational, and local arts organizations. John earned his Ed. D. in Organizations and Leadership from Columbia University Teachers College.