John is from Nova Scotia and has been volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross since 2011.He has been involved with various Red Cross committees over the last decade, such as the Atlantic Health Committee, the Nova Scotia Provincial Advisory Committee, and the Provincial Council. From 2011 to 2013, he served on the National Committee tasked to revamp the Disaster Services Manual for the Red Cross.
In addition to volunteering on a number of committees, John has been part of a few disaster responses in Canada and was also deployed into the United States to assist people impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
For part of his career, John was the Nova Scotia Provincial Director of Emergency Social Services. While in this position, he was the government lead responsible for setting up the first agreement with the Government of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Red Cross. This agreement is still in existence.
John also brings extensive governance experience with him to the Red Cross, having served on Boards of several other not-for-profits organizations. He has been a voting member with the Society for the past six years. John believes that his past experiences and knowledge of the Red Cross will help him assess issues that may be presented to National Members for decision, as well as help provide input, as needed.