Upon the invitation of Jim Smith to attend a Rotary meeting, Jon immediately became addicted to the Casa Gallardo breakfast sausages because they reminded him of the camp cooking from Scouting days (complete with what he hoped were wood ashes). The time commitments to Scouting were waning and he was looking for another outlet for “giving back.”
Since joining Rotary, he has served as Director of Community Service for several years. Jon can always be counted on to encourage members to hammer, dig, saw, chop and otherwise give a helping hand to Habitat for Humanity, stream clean-up days, Circle of Concern, and any other cause the club supports. Jon also notes he has donated numerous golf balls to the courses where the tournaments have been held.
Jon feels he has been blessed by the Lord and that, as a servant of God, these blessings must be shared with others.
Those who know Jon think of Boy Scouts as synonymous with him. As a teenager, he was an Eagle Scout and is proud of the many qualities that experience instilled in him. In 1988, Jon volunteered to be an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Des Peres Boy Scout Troop 313 when his son Jack was involved in Scouting. Jon served as Scoutmaster for Troop 313 for five years, from 1991-96, and as Kirkwood Chairman for Friends of Scouting. As Scoutmaster, he received the President’s Scoutmaster Award of Merit.
Jon currently serves as Merit Badge Counselor and Unit Commissioner. He is especially proud that he has guided over 120 young men in attaining their Eagle Scout rank. In June, Jon was recognized for his contributions to Scouting with Rotary’s Cliff Dochterman Award. This award recognizes an active Rotarian’s exemplary support of Scouting.
Jon currently serves on the Board of All of God’s Children Camp in High Ridge and has designed the facilities at the camp including the Camp building (the largest enclosed building in the shape of a cross in the U.S.), basketball courts, sand volleyball courts and an outdoor amphitheater. He is currently designing the activity center building, lazy river water activity and a playground based upon Noah’s Ark theme.
As a board member of the Citizens for the Future of High Ridge, he has been involved in the effort to incorporate High Ridge as its own city.
Jon and wife Janet have three sons between them: Jack, the oldest, who served in Iraq and is a Rotarian, as well as Joe and Paul. Jon and Janet have four grandchildren and are working on advanced methods to spoil them.
Spare time (what there is of it) hobbies include swimming, hiking, backpacking, fishing, boating, sailing and travel.
Last updated: July 2007
