John Childs

Arriving at MTU from Connecticut, John graduated in Forestry in 1974. Prior to graduating he launched a local backcountry outfitting store in Houghton with 2 other foresters. Shortly afterward he entered the woodworking and construction business in the Copper Country. After marrying Anne, a 1978 MTU grad, and starting a family, their path led to some overseas assignments in rather remote locations. John returned to college for a Masters in Development Anthropology and entered a 30-year ministry period doing community development projects and teaching in indigenous communities of Mexico and again in a Native American college in Arizona. Much of the work and instruction focused on entrepreneurial livelihood development in marginalized populations using their natural resource potential. After compiling training modules on avoiding dependency and learning to help without hurting, John continues presently with writing some study modules for better understanding the intercultural situations, past and present, in Latin America and now the Middle East.

Returning to the Copper Country in 2020 with an awareness of globalization dynamics and culture trends, he hopes to lend encouragement and insight to Huskies for Common Sense by serving on the board.