Born and raised in the Kunene Region of Namibia, John grew up with a father who “poached” wildlife to put food on the table. In 1993, John became an assistant environmental officer with Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), a non-governmental organization that helps rural Namibians sustainably manage and benefit from local natural resources. John has headed IRDNC’s tourism and enterprise development team, and in 2007 he was promoted to Assistant Director of the NGO. In his new role, John is spending more time liaisoning with national partners (he says he does regret spending less time in the field). He remains deeply committed to the development of communities through their conservancies.