Deputy Director / Design Manager, EMI Senegal

Professional Training & Experience

• Bachelor of Science, Engineering, Civil Specialty, Colorado School of Mines, 2006
• Professional Engineer license, Civil Engineering, Colorado, USA

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 13 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, all while sharing stories of God’s faithfulness.

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 two sons, Luka (born 2019) and Eliam (born 2022).