West Africa Coordinator, Civil Engineer
EMI Senegal
JOINED EMI: January 2010
BIRTHPLACE: Colorado, USA
Professional Training & Experience
- Bachelor of Science, Engineering, Civil Specialty, Colorado School of Mines, 2006
- Professional Engineer license, Civil Engineering, Colorado, US
After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines, John worked at JR Engineering in Denver, Colorado as a water resources engineer for 4 years. There he gained engineering experience through a variety of projects including hydraulics, hydrology, water supply & treatment, transportation, and water rights. With EMI, John has more than 10 years of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams working on projects for schools, universities, ministry centers, water systems and hospitals, mostly in West Africa.
Ministry Experience
From his travel around the USA with his parents as a child and his first international experience in Guatemala, God provided opportunities for John to connect with different cultures and to share the hope that he had found in Jesus. John has served with his local church children’s program, youth ministry, audio & visual team, worship team, web development team, and missions team. He also led short-term mission trips with his college ministry group, during which time God gave him a desire to minister cross-culturally using engineering. After discovering EMI in 2009, John volunteered on four project trips and was convinced that God was leading him to join long-term staff with a vision to see EMI grow in West Africa. Today John has the joy of leading diverse project teams, partnering with ministries and local design professionals.
Family
In early 2014, John met Celine, originally from DR Congo, while he was studying French near Paris. The relationship grew by God’s grace, and they were married in France three years later. John and Celine share a passion for cross-cultural ministry, travel, and cuisine. They have a son, Luka, and currently are based in Lyon, France where they are collaborating with the EMI Senegal office and networking with ministries and design professionals.