John is a part-time PhD student in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. His research compares how ideas about life’s meaning and purpose operate in leadership development programmes run by religious and secular organisations.
Alongside his doctoral studies, John serves as a senior advisor for the NC Rural Center, a rural economic development charity in the United States, where he consults on fund development, strategic planning, and organisational effectiveness initiatives. He joined the Rural Center team in 2016 as the founding director of its policy advocacy programme.
Prior to the Rural Center, John worked in philanthropy and community relations for PNC, one of the largest main street banks in the United States, and in civic engagement and programme development for the Institute for Emerging Issues, a university-based policy think tank.
John received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication and Interdisciplinary Studies from North Carolina State University and a Master of Theological Studies in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Harvard Divinity School. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Alumni Association and on the Parochial Church Council for St. John’s Carrington Church and Community Centre in Nottingham.