John has co-founded and managed several businesses in the renewable energy and sustainability field. These include: Foundation Windpower which develops and operates wind turbines; Sustainable Water Solutions a water efficiency technology company; Panoche Valley Solar a solar power developer; Pacific Ethanol an ethanol manufacturer.
In total, projects created by John’s companies represent over $1 billion of equity and debt capital invested in renewable energy production that displaces the greenhouse gas produced to power 75,000 homes annually.
John worked with Bain & Company as a consultant in their Boston office. He was California’s Deputy Secretary for Transportation where he oversaw Caltrans, Highway Patrol/State Police, California Transportation Commission, and parts of the DMV. This included sitting on the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Governor’s Growth Management Council.
John worked in the Governor’s Office as Higher Education Advisor providing analysis and policy recommendations on legislation and budget matters related to UC, CSU, community colleges and private universities.
He serves on the boards of the Redwood City Police Activities League and the Ravenswood Little League in East Palo Alto where he is in his 10th season coaching youth sports. He is on the Menlo Park Housing Commission is an alternate on the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee. John has been an active “Big Brother”, a mentor at Menlo-Atherton High School, a parent representative at the Castilleja School and a volunteer at Encinal Elementary School.
John graduated from Harvard Business School, University of California, Berkeley, and San Joaquin Delta Community College. He lives in Menlo Park with his wife of 20 years and 3 children.
