John Jacob Gochnour is originally from Burley, Idaho and resides in Mesa, Arizona with his wife, Melanie, and their two children. He currently serves as a clerk to the Honorable Stephen M. McNamee of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and as legal counsel to One Heart Bulgaria.

John lived as a missionary in Bulgaria from 2002-2004 and has traveled extensively throughout the country. His experience volunteering at orphanages in Sophia and Blagoevgrad opened his eyes to the stark reality of life as a Bulgarian orphan and motivated him to find ways to help. From the first time he assisted with a One Heart Bulgaria project in 2004–filling a container with medical supplies, clothing, and toys–he saw the organization’s capacity to change lives. He states: “One Heart Bulgaria provides the perfect structure for improving health care and living conditions as well as bringing hope to children who might otherwise have none. I am so happy to be part of helping accomplish One Heart Bulgaria’s important mission.”

John completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Communications in August, 2007. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Duke Law School in Durham, North Carolina in May, 2010.

John enjoys snowboarding, hiking, studying education and tax policy, and spending time with his wife and boys.

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