John has engaged in a multifaceted career working in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. He has become a seasoned veteran of the intricacies of fund-raising and non-profit organizations, in addition to being an expert in event production and coordination. He believes in doing work that is meaningful and is solely motivated by an undying faith that change is possible if one works for the greater good.
He began his career after graduating from New York University at Tiffany and Company in the corporate training program and moved quickly to the position of Assistant manager of its famous Main floor.
Starting his non-profit career in 1985 as the Assistant Director of the international relief and development agency CARE, John was an integral part of a development team overseeing the New York tri-state region. During that time he oversaw all contributions in-kind during the African famine crisis and initiated the CARE Corporate Council, which now has over 150 members. He also produced "Sport Aid" in 1989, a global running event televised throughout the world. John was able to secure the help of Madonna to promote the event here in the United States and the organization received more press than the delivery of the first CARE package to France in 1943!
Returning to Tiffany & Co. as the Associate Director of Design he worked alongside John Loring, the store's Design Director, who was appointed by his grandfather, Walter Hoving who served as chairmen of the store for twenty-five years. In this position John oversaw the development and launching of new products for the entire chain of Tiffany store's, in addition to managing the day to day operations of the design department, which included the interior display and window display departments.
Somewhere during this time he found time to go back to school and was awarded a Masters Degree in Social work from Fordham University. He interned at Daytop and a drug and alcohol rehab called Arms Acres in upstate New York. He continued on there as a counselor for the next several years becoming extremely proficient in the treatment of dual diagnosis patients, running therapeutic groups for men and women in early recovery and family interventions. He was quickly promoted to Assistant Clinical Manager of a 50 bed unit and managed to find time to take on private patients.
A few years years later he decided to move back into the non profit sector and at the request of his friend Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went to work for Riverkeeper as Development Director of and was responsible for all aspects of fund-raising, including public relations, special events, merchandising and licensing. John revamped the organizations implementing a much needed and highly strategic fund raising changes which resulted in many new sources of financial support for the group. He created and produced Riverkeeper's extremely successful annual awards dinner, which continues to be the organizations main source of annual revenue.
After leaving Riverkeeper John and Bobby Kennedy Jr., started, Keeper Springs, a bottled water company whose mission is to return all after tax profits to clean water organizations. He was responsible for all day-to-day operations, budgeting, distribution and coordination, all press and marketing related activities during the initial year of operation of the company.
He then went to work as the Vice President of Development at the Caron Foundation, where he conceived and produced "A Musical Tribute to the Beatles honoring Tom Freston, then the Co-Chairman & CEO of Viacom. The following year through his efforts Jeff Bewkes, now Chairman of Time Warner was honored at yet another major event. Both of these events were the most successful financially in the organization’s history.
After leaving Caron he started the United Network for Creative Licensing & Events, Inc. The company worked with both profit and non profit organizations creating and managing special events in addition to providing licensing and merchandising services. The client list included: HBO, Safe Horizon, Waterkeeper Alliance, Signature Network, The Hearst Preservation Fund, The Caron Foundation, The estate of John Lennon and Sony Signatures Licensing.
John has a BA in Political Science & Philosophy from New York University, in addition to his master's degree in clinical social work from Fordham. He is married to Kyle O’Brien who works as a Motion Picture Accountant, recently completing the sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight in Chicago. They live in New York city with their three Golden Retriever’s.