John has been in the field of community economic development for 25 years, after receiving is master’s degree in Regional Economics from the University of Maine. Throughout John’s career, he has helped organize and develop new initiatives and projects around tourism, downtown, and business development. Most recently as the Director of Economic Development and Tourism in Stafford County, Virginia, John was a co-founder of the Virginia Smart Community Testbed—a private-public partnership focused on the deployment and development of smart technology across the Commonwealth. John was named Raleigh’s first Smart City Manger in the Office of Strategy and Innovation on May 1, 2023 and will help lead the effort to continue to improve the smart technology environment in the City. John is a native of Columbus, Ohio and has a BS from Bowling Green State University.