A native of Memphis, TN, John's connection to Santa Fe goes back decades to his time as a box office intern at the Santa Fe Opera— his first job outside his hometown. Before moving back to the magnificent New Mexico desert, he served as Public Relations Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and as General Director of Opera Birmingham for 15 years. In Birmingham, he served as a trustee of the Alabama School for the Arts as well as an advisory board member of the Birmingham Girls Choir and Birmingham Southern College. After relocating to Santa Fe, he held the position of Co-Director for Administration and Development for SWAIA (The Santa Fe Indian Market) for three summers. He received a business degree from the University of Memphis with a minor in Voice and earned a JD from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He was subsequently admitted to the Georgia Bar.  John and his husband, Charles Rountree, enjoy reading, concerts, volunteering, and traveling as well as being attentive at all times to their Shih Tsu, Lucy. Currently, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Envision Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation.