“John has worked individually with my two children and with our entire family for school guidance and educational psychology testing for four years. John's work has helped our children become more confident and happy in the classroom and at home. His unique style allows children to talk freely. He has provided my husband and me with a forum to talk about our parenting style and how to support our children. I have also participated in John's parenting courses. It has been a wonderful time to learn. John's ability to facilitate relevant conversation is what makes the class successful. John's influence on our children, family and community will last.”

— Parent

John believes in the value of community. His motto may indeed be “small is beautiful": he has lived in small communities all of his adult life and values the face-to-face quality of small town existence. John brings his belief in the value of healthy communities and healthy minds to his work as a coach for children, parents and teachers.

John lived for 23 years in West Chester, Pennsylvania, before moving to City Island in the Bronx. In West Chester, he was known as a peace activist (he played his guitar on the street corner at a weekly vigil for dozens of Saturday mornings), a folk musician (playing local clubs and coffee houses as well as frequent outdoor gigs at the Growers’ Market), a school psychologist at West Chester Friends School and a parent educator. His 1880 brick row house in the West Chester Boro was the scene for many a musical evening around the campfire and his neighbors often came to him with parenting or school issues involving their own children. John also participated in a men’s group for 20 years, exploring with his fellow seekers the joys and sorrows of life as a male in this culture today.

Even while returning to West Chester once per month to continue working with his clients and schools there, John is excited to live now on City Island. He has taught sailing as an American Sailing Association Instructor since 1999 and holds a United States Coast Guard OUPV Captain's License. He regularly spends time cruising on his beloved sailboat SUNBOW (see his sailing resume).

John has played many times at the local Starving Artist Gallery and Café and presently is playing music during the warmer months at the Greenmarket located at the New York Botanical Gardens. Check out his music on My Space.

John offers programs for parents at the City Island Community Center  and the City Island School (P.S. 175). His articles on parenting are a regular feature in the City Island newspaper The Island Current. He is always looking for ways to expand his commitment to this unique island community.
			John's West Chester home door

John also continues to share his expertise as a school psychologist, child development specialist, and parent educator. He recently gave a workshop for mental health professionals at the national conference of the American Mental Health Counselors Association: the topic was "READY/SET/GO: Developing Executive Functioning Skills in Children and Their Parents". John gives workshops on early childhood learning for the New York City Association for the Education of Young Children and the Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children. He has recently offered a series "Parenting In The 21st Century" at Bronx Community College.   

John is a parenting consultant for the Leadership Program as well as the Quaker-in-Residence at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY. He serves on the board of the Quaker Bolivia Link and Oakwood Friends School.