John is the Chief Quality Assurance Officer of Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery. He was previously the Vice President of Father Flanagan’s Boys Town National Operations and award winning economic developer for the PECO Energy Company. His strengths lie in his ability to articulate relevant messages that engage people in collaborative efforts. He has the ability to bring out the best of human hopes and aspirations in those from diverse cultures and agencies.

John’s diverse career accomplishments have empowered youth, adults, families and communities to close the well-being gaps in health, education and wealth creation. This is exemplified in four ways. In 2005 he accepted appointment by Louisiana state officials to participate in the reconstruction of Louisiana, post hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He serves as an executive team member of a $95 million dollar crisis counseling outreach program, Louisiana Spirit Hurricane Recovery which has outreached to over three million hurricane survivors. In 2000, when John left a successful corporate career to work with the Boys Town national operation which offers help, healing and hope to 40,000 children that are abandoned abused and neglected nation wide. He increased the number of children served, decreased cost, increased revenue streams and also created the “Youth Empowerment Forum” which is a process that unfolds a suite of life skills to disadvantaged youth. From 1984-2000, John climbed the corporate ladder to serve as an economic development leader for a Fortune 500 utility company -- PECO Energy based in Philadelphia.

In addition, “Master Educator (Shihan) John G. Daniel” is a 7th degree black belt, Karatenomichi World Federation USA, and has been involved with Shotokan karate since 1971 when his training began under the tutelage of Sensei Teruyuki Okazaki of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). A short list of accomplishments includes being captain of the Cornell Karate team and ISKF/AAU College Champion in 1979; ISKF East Coast Champion in 1989; USA Team member in 1985, double Bronze medalist at the Pan American Championship in 1993, and the first African American USA Team Coach at the World Karate Championships in Sweden in 1998. Shihan Daniel is the current Louisiana Karate Commissioner for the 2009 Governor’s Game. He has taught karate in Baton Rouge for four years without charge, and at the East Baton Rouge Detention center. His unique brand of instruction uses karate as a hook to teach youth and families the value of health, education and wealth creation in building a quality of life.

John holds a double bachelor’s degree in Government and Psychology. He also was the co-founder/chair of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Inner-City Games Philadelphia Chapter 1998-2002. In November 2003, John facilitated a workshop on Crime in America, articulating crime prevention best practices of Girls and Boys Town, at the US Congressional conference on The State of African American Males.

At the time of our 35th reunion, John is Executive Director of Boys Hope Girls Hope, Baton Rouge. He is also President and Founder of Unity Day Youth and Family Zone, John G. Daniel Productions and the Daniel Karate Group and serves as Karate Commissioner for the Louisiana Governor’s Games.

At the time of our 40th reunion, John is Founder, President & CEO of Southern States Scholars and Scholars Laboratory. Southern States Scholars is a cross sector collective impact group that is an “economy of scale” for non-profits. Scholars Laboratory is a residential precollege preparatory program that teaches underserved youth how to “Live, Learn, and Change the World!”