John moved to the West End in early 2016, when he started his present job at the Census Bureau, determined to live in the city and commute to Suitland, MD. His wife Janet, who joined the Village in 2016, followed a few months later after finishing her school year at Ithaca High School and selling their house.

John decided to join the Village not long after Janet was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“The Village really delivered the community support that we needed,” he said. “We decided that we would both join, and make a contribution. We're pretty independent right now, but we need a circle of DC-based friends to make retiring here manageable.”

An economist and statistician by profession, John is the Associate Director for Research and Methodology and Chief Scientist at the U.S. Census Bureau. He spent 27 years on the faculty of Cornell University before joining the Census Bureau.

“I'm deeply involved in the 2020 Census, both the job I signed up for and the several that have fallen on my plate since 2016,” John said. (You can use Google to learn more, if you wish.)

“When's that over, I'll come up for air, and we'll have at least one more grandchild.”
John was an avid cyclist during his three decades in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. (He sometimes describes himself as a recovering Lance Armstrong fan.) He decided that learning urban bike-handling skills wasn’t safe, so prior the pandemic, he substituted studio cycling--spin classes. He also enjoys collecting wine and cooking, especially Lebanese delicacies.

“Most of all, Janet and I have settled into being comfortable, active grandparents,” John said. “It’s a role we knew was coming but couldn't have imagined would be so much fun.”