John was raised in Weaverville, attending Weaverville elementary school and graduating from Trinity High school in 1971. He attended Shasta College receiving an AA in Agriculture and Diesel Technology and went on and worked at Shasta College in various departments of the physical plant division from 1974 until retirement in 2013, ultimately serving as Transportation Director and interim Physical Plant Director. Prior to that, John worked in the logging industry in Trinity County and Calaveras County. He currently owns and operates the Arrow B Ranch in the Igo Ono area, primarily raising beef cattle and hay crops, but also including all the typical ancillary animals of a farm, chickens, horses, donkeys, dogs and cats. John’s hobbies include recreational gold mining and gardening and he is a director on the Igo Ono Community Services District board.