written by John Martin

A graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, John spent 12 years in sales and sales management, distributing video movies for Hollywood. John spent 13 years as a small business owner. He opened his first video store in Pacific Palisades in 1981. His most memorable customer in his last business was Oprah Winfrey and her entire entourage who visited his gas station and convenience store in California’s Mojave Desert on Memorial Day, 2006.

John returned to Orange County in 2007 to be closer to his three children and nine grandchildren. He is presently the sales manager for iBank, an online lending network for Small-Business funding. He spends his free time on “education based non-profit” activities in South Los Angeles where he is on the board of the Mount Carmel Alumni Foundation. He is the founder and chairman of THE FUTURE DOC PROJECT. The FDP works through the Corporate Work-Study Program of Verbum Dei High School in Watts finding meaningful health services jobs in hospitals and clinics for students to gain practical experience as well as inspiration and motivation to study math & science. He is the founder and Co-Chairman of the Change….for Change Campaign. The CCC is collaborative effort between ten suburban Catholic high schools whose students raise money to fund Carson Scholars Fund Reading Rooms for inner-city elementary schools.