John Tynan

John Tynan is co‑director of Upstate Forever’s Clean Air & Water Program, where he works to reduce the impacts of land use change on water quality and reduce the size of Upstate’s climate footprint. He directs Upstate Forever’s Rural Waters project, which works to protect and restore the quality and character of mountain streams, piedmont rivers, and Upstate lakes by empowering and encouraging citizen involvement in decision‑making processes. John was elected to the Greenville Water Commission in November 2009, where he  uses his water resource background to help promote and encourage water conservation while providing clean and affordable drinking water for Greenville. John is a graduate of Furman University and holds a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University. He is an active member of Greenville Forward’s Environmental Task Force and serves on the Executive Committee for the YMCA of Greenville’s Teen Services Branch and the Building and Grounds Committee for the YWCA. He served on the City of Greenville’s Authentic Youth Civic Engagement initiative, Plan‑It‑Greenville’s Economic Development committee, and Imagine Greenville’s Land Use and Transportation committee. He was selected as one of Greenville’s Best and Brightest by Greenville Business Magazine for 2009. John lives in the North Main neighborhood of Greenville with his wife, Mary Virginia, where they enjoy hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities in their free time.