John Ward

John has 23 years of work experience in education and performance auditing. He began his career as a high school social studies teacher in Tucson, Arizona. He learned the challenges and the opportunities of delivering and facilitating high-quality instruction through developing curricula and assessing his students’ learning. He also spent over 16 years at the Arizona Auditor General’s Office conducting and managing performance audits of Arizona’s public-school districts. He managed teams that evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of school districts’ operations and made recommendations to improve their operations and internal controls. He previously also served on the advisory council for his children’s private school, advising the school’s administration on issues related to operations, enrollment, curricula, and fundraising. These experiences inform and assist him in his current role as the Executive Director of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program. He is honored to serve in this role and is committed to ensuring that all students have access to the greatest set of education options through school choice. His success as Executive Director resulted in the Arizona Capitol Times including him as one of its inaugural Power 50—one of Arizona’s most impactful leaders who makes things happen. John earned bachelor’s degrees in secondary education and political science with minors in economics and Spanish from the University of Arizona. He also earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago and served as a graduate assistant at the American Enterprise Institute to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.