A 36-year industry veteran with a background in structural engineering, he served first as chief of design services and then Director of the Supplier Division of the Mobile Homes Manufacturers Association. While in the land development division of MHMA, he is recognized as having, with his team, planned, designed and engineered over 200,000 residential sites for manufactured homes in less than 4 years. He also served as a Vice President of the Manufactured Housing Institute where he was the institute's marketing representative in U.S. and international markets and he also produced and managed the association's shows and conventions. He is recognized as a long time champion of manufactured housing causes on both technical and policy issues. As the CEO of MHARR for the past 20 years, he has been instrumental in leading the way for improvement to the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Act, (known as the HUD code) and was instrumental in the development and passage of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000.

John is the leader of the third generation of his family with Sunshine Homes. He was recognized as the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association man of year in 2001, and the Mississippi housing manufacturer of the year in 2000. He has served the AMHI as a board member for over 10 years including two terms as chairman. He has, for the last five years, served as Chairman of the South Central MHI which produced the Nashville and now the Tunica, Mississippi, manufactured hosing shows. He instigated and led the battle against zoning discrimination for manufactured homes in Alabama, and he created the nation’s first child care center for employees at a manufactured housing plant.

A 35-year Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute board member, he served terms as President in 1972 and 1976. He served as Kentucky's representative to the national Manufactured Housing Federation and to MHI for over 25 years, he served as a SEMHI board member, and as a Midwest Manufactured Housing Federation and Louisville Manufactured Housing Show committee member. He was one of the organizers and the first President of his chapter of Kentucky MHI. He led the successful effort to get 16 foot wide home movement available in Kentucky. Starting with an original start-up capital investment of $1800, he built his business to a sales volume exceeding 6 million dollars per year.