John retired in 2022 after 14 years as chief executive officer of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, the region’s oldest and largest agricultural association. Before joining the Farm Bureau, John worked for 25 years as a reporter, editor and Opinion-page columnist at the Ventura County Star. During that time, his commentaries on land-use policy, natural resources and environmental issues were distributed by Scripps Howard News Service and published in newspapers throughout the United States. The winner of numerous writing awards and journalism fellowships, he is the author of three books about California’s parks and wilderness areas, as well as Voyage of Rediscovery, based on his experiences retracing the Lewis and Clark Expedition trail, and Living Legacy: The Story of Ventura County Agriculture. In retirement, he continues to work on consulting projects for clients as a writer, editor, researcher and photographer. A lifelong outdoorsman, he also travels frequently throughout the West with his partner, Leslie Leavens, and publishes a travel journal online at johnkrist.substack.com. He serves on the board of House Farm Workers!, a nonprofit advocacy organization, and is a member of the Ventura Land Trust’s Land Committee. When not on the road, he and Leslie split their time between Ojai and Ventura.