John has served as CEO of the Downtown Berkeley Association for over 10 years and currently serves on the boards of the International Downtown Association and California Downtown Association. John brings over 35 years of business, non-profit, and community development experience to the DBA, including strategic planning, new business development, marketing, finance, project management, and general management. Before coming to the DBA, John served as Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Oakland where he significantly expanded programs and funding, serving low-income seniors and non-profit community facilities. Before entering the nonprofit world, he served in many management and strategy positions in the private sector, including Berkeley-based Loansoft and Nextel Communications. And during the thirty years, he has lived in Berkeley, he has served on the boards Berkeley Alliance, Berkeley Partners for Parks, Aurora Theatre, Willard Neighborhood Association, City of Berkeley Disaster and Fire Safety Commission; and served on fundraising committees for the South Branch Library and Berkeley City College. John currently serves on the boards of the Berkeley Public Schools Fund and Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. John has a long-time interest in education, having served as a volunteer teacher’s assistant at Willard Middle School, a volunteer instructor with the Presidential Classroom, and entrepreneurship mentor with BUILD.org. John earned an M.B.A. from UCLA and an undergraduate degree in Government from Harvard.