Southeastern Community College Alumni Association | Distinguished Alumnus Award 2020
Following graduation from Mediapolis High School and service in the Army National Guard, John enrolled in Burlington Junior College. He completed his undergraduate education at Iowa State University majoring in engineering and earned an MBA at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
John’s career began at Inland Division of General Motors in Dayton, OH. where he helped with the development of the original air bag program and drove the first air bag equipped automobile out of the state of Michigan. After eight years he returned to Burlington as a design engineer at JI Case, was promoted to Chief Engineer and then Director of Engineering which took him to Racine, WI. John was promoted to Vice President of Worldwide Construction Equipment Engineering and reported directly to the president of Case.
As VP of engineering, he traveled the world extensively monitoring the various Case engineering groups and was granted 8 patents. In 1993 his family returned to Burlington where he purchased Klein Manufacturing, now Flint Cliffs Manufacturing.
Active in Burlington with local activities and organizations including the Southeast Iowa Regional Airport Board, Community Foundation Board, and the Jr Achievement Board. Recognition and awards include: Keynote speaker for the National Society of Automotive Engineers Annual Meeting in Peoria, Business Person of the Year in 2007, Manufacturer of Distinction award in 2009, Burlington Chamber’s Manufacturer of the year in 2015, Mayor’s Award for rebuilding the snowflakes on Snake Alley in 2018, and provided leadership in the rebuilding of the First United Methodist Church after it was destroyed by fire.
John has logged 1725 sport parachute jumps and has just over 12 hours of free fall time, plus has a private pilot license with instrument rating. He and his wife Barbara are parents of son Jeffrey, now president of Flint Cliffs and daughter Ann (Rich) Thompson of Jacksonville, Fl and their children John, Will and Josi.
