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Written by Dianna Weston

Our guest was one of the Club’s newest members, Don-John Linton. Don is from southern Georgia, growing up on St. Simons Island. He attended college in Boston and in the Netherlands, and ultimately moved to Montana. Don-John says he lived in the woods in a small house on 19 acres for a few years (reminiscent of Henry David Thoreau, complete with a couple ponds), working for Habitat for Humanity in Missoula, and volunteering as a firefighter and first responder. He also bought and ran a small newspaper for a while, but unfortunately bought it right as digital news was taking off.
In 2014, he and his daughter Emerson came to Portland for the Summer Warped Tour festival. They liked the Portland area a lot, so he and family started thinking about moving from Montana to Oregon. Don-John and his wife Kari returned to Portland in the spring of 2015, and by mid-October of that year, had bought a home and moved here. Kari earned her Masterโ€™s Degree at PSU, and started work as a Qualified Mental Health Professional at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Salem. Meanwhile, Don-John found work with Artistic Kitchen and Bath as a project manager. He explained that much of their work comes through Home Depot, but they also provide remodeling services directly to clients.
In his spare time, Don-John is a beekeeper, and talked about his somewhat frustrating experiences trying to keep bees in this climate. The family likes to go on trips, concerts and just “doing things” to fully experience life. Their daughter Kari was an Exchange Student to Mendoza, Argentina in 2018-19.

It is interesting to note he was not really aware of Rotary, except for a vague notion that his childhood friendโ€™s parents were involved, until his daughterโ€™s exchange experience.

Welcome, Don-John!