John Wm. Hopen, National Board Member

a smiling man sitting next to a yellow lab service dogJohn Hopen is a retired corporate jet captain and lives in Sebastopol, California. He currently enjoys his hobbies of woodworking, cars, flying, golf, fishing, and travel. Of particular interest to John is music and music production. To that end he has formed Wild Turkey Recording. Through recording and artist development, John looks to support musicians and their music at a grass roots level.

John moved from Seattle, Washington to retire in Sonoma County, CA to be closer to all of his passions, and Canine Companions tops that list. He has been involved with Canine Companions for some 25+ years and is currently serving proudly as a National Board member.

John’s non-profit background started in his late teens when he started volunteering at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. Through his years there he also served on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities. John’s passion for the mission statement of Canine Companions is born out of his mother’s involvement in the organization. “Mom got me wrapped up in this amazing organization many years ago now. I can’t thank her enough as nothing gives me more pleasure than being a part of a team that does so many amazing and wonderful things for people with disabilities every single day. I’ll stay with Canine Companions as long as they’ll have me and/or as long as I’m able!”