John received an Award of Merit from the Canadian Standards Association in 2025 in recognition of his exemplary technical expertise, advocacy, and outstanding contributions to the development of standards for the storage of hydrocarbons in underground formations. After starting out as a geologist in the hard rock mining field, he went on to acquire 14 years of petroleum industry experience and 34 years of underground storage experience with a variety of companies in both Canada and the U.S., which included the preparation of technical standards. John has attempted to retire on several occasions but is still currently employed part-time at Tiberius Energy Services LLC in Austin, Texas, as a subject matter expert – underground storage. As John moves on from his technical career, he is working to improve his woodworking and lapidary skills, while continuing to educate himself about as many subjects as possible. John and his wife, Pat, who is from Sarnia (via Napanee), have been married for 45 years and plan to eventually retire in Austin, where they both also operate a boutique real estate business.