John recently returned to Cincinnati after serving in the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office in Washington, DC, where he provided the Secretary and his senior staff with independent analytical assessments in support of strategic decision-making. Before the VA, John worked for the City of Cleveland, advising elected and appointed leaders on budgetary and financial matters and providing internal management consulting services to enable the effective delivery of municipal services. He also serves on the Board of the Defense Orientation Conference Association, a national defense and foreign policy educational organization supported by the US Depts. of Defense and State. As part of numerous DOCA delegations, John has visited US and foreign military/national security installations, government agencies, and embassies in over a dozen countries on four continents. John holds a Master of Public Administration from the George Washington University in DC and a BS in History and a BA in Molecular Biology from Washington University in St Louis. John’s professional memberships include the American Society for Public Administration, Government Finance Officers Association, Kaplan Public Service Foundation, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, and the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis. John is a certificated Commercial pilot with time in over ten types, from biplanes to business jets, but most enjoys spending time at home with his wife.