John is the President & CEO at Partners of the Americas. He is a dynamic and strategic servant leader with over 30 years of experience in international community development and humanitarian relief. John is a seasoned expert in building and leveraging partnerships, fostering volunteerism, and promoting locally-led development to drive impactful solutions. He is adept at solving complex problems and fostering consensus in multicultural environments. He is committed to transparent leadership and achieving organizational vision through innovative and collaborative approaches. He has a proven track record in setting tactical direction, managing programs and budgets, and empowering diverse teams within international nonprofit organizations.
John is passionate about community development in Latin America and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. He brings significant experience as a country and regional director for international nonprofits including Save the Children, World Vision, and Project Concern International since 1996, as well as leading nonprofit organizations as President & CEO since 2012. He has held leadership positions on the Boards of numerous local nonprofits and associations in El Salvador and Central America, providing operational and strategic direction. He coordinated or co-coordinated multiple national and regional networks in Central America in health, water and sanitation, and agriculture/food security.
John received a BSc in Civil Engineering from MIT and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois / Urbana-Champaign. He is fluent in Spanish and has a working knowledge of French and Portuguese.