Following graduation, John spent the next 7 1/2 years in Adelaide, Australia, where he worked for a computer company and served as an Administrative Officer for the City of Tea Tree Gully. Upon returning to the United States, John served as Finance Director for Klamath County and the City of Klamath Falls. John moved to Bend, where he was employed in retail sales and as a loan officer for a Bend credit union.

Returning to Klamath Falls in 1994, John became active in local government, serving as a member and Chairman of the County's Library Board and later as Chairman of the Budget Committee for 4 years. He was appointed in January, 2001, to fill out the term of a commissioner who was elected to the State Legislature. John was elected in 2002 and re-elected to his current term in 2006.

Active in regional and state-wide interests, John is Chair of Jefferson Behavioral Health, an association of Klamath, Jackson, Josephine, Coos and Curry counties delivering mental health care to those counties’ eligible members.  Since 2002, John has been a member and past Chair of CIS, an organization sponsored by the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties to provide insurance and risk management services to its member entities and providing services to approximately 9,500 public employees in cities, counties and special districts around the state.  John is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Oregon Counties and serves on the Water Policy and Legislative steering committees.  At the national level, John is a member of the Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee of the National Association of Oregon Counties.

John's liaison responsibilities oversee the areas of Public and Mental Health, District Attorney, Community Corrections, Fairgrounds, Tax/Treasurer, Tourism, Finance and Justice Court.