Advisor: Dr Joseph November

Bio: 

John was born outside Boston MA, the oldest of four children, in March 1960. His parents were both Naval Officers. The family moved to Chapel Hill NC in 1963, where his father earned his PhD in Biochemistry. In 1970, they moved to Charleston SC when his father took a position teaching at MUSC.

John attended the College of Charleston, graduating with a BA in Political Science in 1982. He held various positions including teaching algebra and geometry in a boarding school before joining the Navy in 1985. John spent four years on active duty, serving as Navigation/Administrative Officer and Communications Officer on a frigate out of Norfolk VA. In 1989, he moved his family to Columbia SC.

John took a position with the Governor’s Office of South Carolina. He completed his career with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Administration. During his career he wrote environmental policy, ran a FEMA disaster area, ran the state’s Medicaid Transportation, Vision and Dental programs and helped create and monitor the state’s computer security program. He retired in 2023.

After moving to Columbia, he also affiliated with the Naval Reserves. John commanded 6 reserve units. He and his sailors supported various active-duty vessels and three of the numbered fleet staffs. He drilled at 8 reserve centers in 4 states. In his final assignment, he led Navy Honor Guards. He presented American Flags to surviving members of deceased veterans’ families in over 100 funerals. He retired from the USNR in 2013.

John and his wife, Pam, have been married for 9 years. A Columbia native, Pam is employed at Lexington Medical Center as Director of Urology. They have 5 sons, and 3 grandchildren between them.

In 1997 John suffered the first of two heart attacks. On the second anniversary of bypass surgery, he ran his first marathon. He completed 28 marathons, and 2 half iron distance triathlons and numerous shorter races in the years that followed. In addition, John coached youth soccer in Kershaw County for 16 years. He also earned coaching certifications from US Track and Field and USA Triathlon training endurance athletes, marathoners and triathletes, for a local running store.

John has a master’s degree Public Administration from the College of Charleston which he completed in 2022.