John Edmonds graduated from New York University in 1971 with a master’s in social work. He has held several positions in non-profit and government agencies as a social worker, supervisor, administrator and has taught at both, the undergraduate and graduate levels in New York and Minnesota. For 25 years, John worked at Olmsted County Health, Housing and Human Services as a social worker and then as a program manager. During this time, he both developed and oversaw child welfare programs for families of color. Since 2023, John has served as the Diversity, Education, and Inclusion (DEI) Coordinator for Olmsted County.