​John Currivan

John attended Cornell University on a Navy ROTC scholarship, and received a B.S (with distinction) in electrical engineering. He also holds a master-of-science degree in electrical engineering (U.C. Berkeley), and another M.S. in aeronautical systems (U. of West Florida). He became a Navy jet pilot and served as a flight instructor in the Navy’s Advanced Jet Training Command.

John graduated summa cum laude from Cornell Law School, where he was a Note and Comment Editor of the Cornell Law Review. He served in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) — as a prosecutor, as the senior attorney aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, and as a judge.

After completing his military service with the rank of Commander, John accepted a position as a tax lawyer at Jones Day, a global law firm. While his primary focus was on business tax planning, he also did substantial work in the area of tax-exempt bond financing. In addition, he structured tax-free exchanges for high-profile sports and entertainment celebrities. He rose to the position of partner, and later became the Coordinator of the firm’s tax practice in Cleveland, Ohio.

While practicing law, John served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland. He co-authored (with J. Rickert) a book entitled Ohio Limited Liability Companies (West Group 1999). In 2005 he became Chairman of the Cleveland Tax Institute. He has been listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in the World.

Upon retirement from his law practice, John and his wife, Patrice, moved to Sedona. John soon got involved in city government and served three years on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. In 2016, John was elected to Sedona’s City Council, where he served until 2020. He served on the board of the Sedona Community Center until June, 2023. He remains a member of the boards of two other nonprofit organizations – The Sedona 30 and the Sedona International Film Festival.