Jon is a native West Virginian and lawyer who found meditation provided needed balance in his hectic professional life. After serving in the WV Attorney General’s Office as the director of the consumer protection division, he changed fields and began a career in higher education law. With service to WVU and other higher education institutions, he has been a university general counsel, a university vice president, and a university professor.
After having a regular meditation practice, he became a formal Zen student and trained under a Korean Zen master. Since completing his training and ordination as a Zen teacher, he has taught meditation in a wide variety of settings. He has taught meditation to WVU medical students and other health science students, and to leadership doctoral students. He has also taught meditation at statewide educational conferences for physicians, social workers, and teachers. He was one of the founders of a local meditation group and has served as the formal teacher for Zen students.
Jon laughs easily and associates closely with the old Zen saying, “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.”