About John

I am the principal consultant for Boards On Course which focuses on assisting boards of directors excel through application of the 10 powerful principles of the Policy Governance® model and other board performance improvements.  Over the years, I have served in management roles in the non-profit, public, and business sectors and have reported to and served on numerous boards of directors.  I am passionate about working with boards of directors and enjoy this work immensely.  Boards have tremendous importance and awesome responsibilities and often little training to be high performing accountable boards. 

I have received personal training from Dr. John Carver, the developer of the Policy Governance® model, and have completed the Policy Governance® AcademySM, the most advanced training available in this model.  I believe that the Policy Governance® model is the most comprehensive and effective board governance system available today.  In addition to having a thorough theoretical understanding of Policy Governance®, I have over ten years of practical experience with the model as a CEO reporting to a board transitioning to and then practicing the Policy Governance® model.  I also have six years’ practical experience with the model, serving as a board member of the International Policy Governance Association (IPGA) now known as Govern for Impact.  My practical experience with governance also includes reporting to and serving on boards not following the Policy Governance® model.

I also have extensive experience with group dynamics, team building, and quality improvement/performance improvement technologies. 

Since completing the Policy Governance® AcademySM in 2005, I have made numerous presentations on the Policy Governance® model and other governance topics to individual boards as well as to state association membership and at annual conferences of the International Policy Governance Association (now known as Govern for Impact) in the United States and Canada.

In the last few years, I have provided consultation and training services on Policy Governance® to a range of private non-profit and public/governmental organizations including a church, a faith-based social service organization, a faith-based housing development organization, county governmental planning and funding bodies, state-wide associations, an international health practitioner association, school boards (including a charter school board), two colleges, a state public employees retirement system, and a national law enforcement organization.

I have a master’s degree in social work from West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia).  I’m a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) in Ohio and have a doctoral degree in public administration from Nova University (now Nova Southeastern University) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  I have been awarded the GSP (Governance Systems Professional) designation by Govern for Impact (formerly The International Policy Governance Association).  In addition, in June 2024, I was awarded Govern for Impact's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Larry Spears, a leading world authority on servant-leadership, and I recently co-authored a board governance book titled Better Boards for a Better World: An Integrated Practice of Policy Governance and Servant-Leadership (November 2023).

I live with my wife and family in Monroe, Ohio just north of Cincinnati.

Please contact me with any board governance questions, issues or concerns.  I would love to help.