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John DeJoie
Inspired by his desire to help people, John ran for the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2002. He served on various committees until 2010, when he left the New Hampshire House of Representatives to work in child advocacy. He worked for the Children’s Alliance/NH Kids Count from 2010-2016, and Child and Family Services/Waypoint from 2016-2021. He consulted to both organizations for Strategic Planning and Legislative Advocacy. John has received numerous awards in recognition of his work.
John created numerous policy changes as a legislator and an advocate. His strength lies in his ability to reach across the aisle and build coalitions. When he was elected in 2002, he was one of only 102 democratic members, compare with 298 republicans in the house. He had to learn fast how to work with legislators, regardless of party. This lesson has shaped his work throughout his career. With his strong focus on child advocacy, he frequently opined to colleagues, "children cannot wait two years for another election to have their needs and concerns met. Our job is to figure out how to work with legislators the voters have selected". As an advocate, he has built on these relationships to build powerful coalitions.
Born in Massachusetts, he proudly calls New Hampshire home. While not a native “Granite Stater” both of his children are. John received a Bachelor’s Degree from North Adams State College (1981) and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Simmons College (1985). He was married in 1988 to his wife Linda, they moved to an apartment in NH and then later to a home in Litchfield before settling in Concord in 2001 where they built their dream home. John, who is an avid hiker, wanted to be close to New Hampshire’s beautiful White Mountains and “Concord was as far north as I could convince my wife to live.”
John worked as a Clinical Social Worker for 10 years, primarily in Emergency Psychiatry; working at and eventually directing the Emergency Room at the Solomon Mental Health Center in Lowell, MA. As a member of the Center management team, he managed budgets for the Mental Health Center and the Area Office, comprised of the Merrimack Valley from Lowell to Haverhill. After ten years, he found himself needing a change. Having been a volunteer Firefighter in Litchfield, NH, he decided on a career change and entered the Fire Service. he served as a firefighter/EMT for the city of Concord (NH) from 1995-2015. His social work skills were utilized during his work in the fire service. Frequently, John would assist with patients experiencing emotional crises. As a problem solver, he was passionate about this aspect of the job.
Jennifer Gordon
Biography Coming Soon