Educated
in Clark County
The
family settled in North Las Vegas and John began school at Lincoln
Elementary, one of the older schools in Clark County. John Lee was
educated in Nevada, primarily in the public school system. He attended
Jim Bridger Jr. High School after Lincoln Elementary. John graduated
from Rancho High School in 1973.
John was
active in scouting and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. His interest
in scouting has stayed with him, and he has continued to hold leadership
roles in scouting throughout his life. He recently chaired the finance
committee for the Boulder Dam Area Council and served as Chairman
of the 2004 Scout Expo at Lorenzi Park. He is a current member of
the Boulder Dam Area Council Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors.
Family
Roots
John’s
father lived in the same home in North Las Vegas for nearly thirty-five
years. Later in life, John’s mother served as a volunteer in
the Peace Corps, working in Sierra Leone. Following her service there,
she toured Europe by bicycle before returning home to America. Bicycling
must run in the family!
Getting
Started
In September
of 1974 when John was nineteen, he married Marilyn Ruesch of St. George,
Utah. Newly graduated from high school, John went to work as a dishwasher
at the Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas and was a member of Culinary
Workers Union Local 226.
As John and
Marilyn started their family, John sought out other employment. He
worked for the City of Las Vegas before learning the plumbing trade.
Then he studied hard and gained a securities license and entered the
financial services field. In 1991, John then bought his own plumbing
company, using the family’s station wagon as his first plumbing
truck.
He was
able to purchase Vegas/Home Plumbing Service, Inc. which he still
owns and operates. He has since established Champion Tile and Marble
and invested in and worked as a director for Advanstaff Human Resources
and Nevada First Bank. He maintains all of his professional contractor's
licenses.
Family
Matters
John
and Marilyn have been married for 30 years. They have seven children:
Crystaline, Buck, Summer, Blake, Casey, Lacey and Alana. John and
Marilyn are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.
An
Active Life
As
the family grew, John made it a point to be active in their lives.
He pitched in at school activities, worked in the PTA and in scouting.
Additionally, John is an active member of his church and has been
called upon to serve in numerous roles.
The
entire Lee family enjoys the outdoors. On weekends the family can
be found hiking Mount Charleston, mountain biking in the Sierras,
or exploring Nevada ghost towns. John is an avid racquetball player
and enjoys reading and dutch oven cooking.
Community
Service
John Lee
has always seen community life as an extension of his family life.
In addition to his church, school and scouting work, John has a long
history of volunteering to serve in the community. His leadership
and teamwork skills have been recognized through his appointment to
a wide series of panels working to improve the quality of life here
in Nevada.
State
Legislator
As three-term
legislator, John was Vice Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee
and served on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining Committees
and on the Transportation Committee. He was a member of the High Level
Nuclear Waste Interim Committee and served on the Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency Committee. On a national level, John served as a member of
the High Level Waste Committee of the National Conference of State
Legislators.
