Family background
John is a westerner whose family helped settle a new nation in North Carolina in the 1650s and then began a migration west with the expansion of the nation. They traveled through the frontiers of Indiana, Ohio and Missouri, the Indian lands of the Dakotas and Kansas, and finally settled in the Colorado territory by the 1860s.

Service
After serving the public for nearly 25 years in law enforcement, John retired as an administrative sergeant, and expanded his interest in serving the public by running for county commissioner. John is currently serving his fifth term. His philosophy, that no one person is more important than any other, is one which he believes deeply, and he lives and teaches this perspective on a daily basis.

John is an individual who has his heart in the past, his mind on the present, and his eyes on the future. He is a leader who knows that listening, understanding history, in depth research, and willingness to make decisions are the keys to move toward a positive future.


In May of 2011, John was elected 2nd vice president to the National Association of Counties Western Interstate Region.

WIR's new leadership team pauses for a group photo at the Convention Center in Wenatchee, Wash. New president Ron Walter, commissioner Chelan County, Wash. (second from left), is pictured with (l-r) Mike Murray, Lewis and Clark County, Mont., immediate past president; Jerome Selby, Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, 1st vice president; and John Martin, Garfield County, Colo., who was elected 2nd vice president at the conference May 20. — photo by Charles Taylor

Read full story on the National Association of Counties website