As Director of Strategic Initiatives, John works to develop programs and partnerships that take Rocky Ridge in exciting new directions and help build long-term sustainability. Prior to joining RRM, he spent over fifteen years as a data scientist at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, where he worked on projects partnering with federal, state, and local government to improve social services through knowledge-based decision-making. Deeply interested in the development of human potential through the arts, John also worked as program director at the Children’s Center for Arts and Learning in Denver, managing arts enrichment and academic tutoring services for elementary school students. He earned a BA in Philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder, and an MA in Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago, where he also did graduate work in sociology. A classical guitarist since his youth, John studied with Brian Torosian at DePaul University.