John Leyerle

Title: 
Retired
Company: 
John Wayne Airport and United States Coast Guard
Education: 

BA-Physics, 1972

Career Path: 

1. Volunteer Service: I have been retired from wage-earning for 11 years. I enjoy family and friends, travel, and active engagement in "giving back" through mentoring, volunteer curriculum writing and teaching, and affirming support of mental health and veteran's service.
I have enjoyed serving the UCI Physical Science Mentor (PSUM) program for 9 years.  During the years 2019 to 2022, I actively developed curriculum and taught classes for adult professional development through Working Wardrobes, a non-profit organization.  I am an active member of Honor Flight Southland serving as a guardian and in board-member leadership roles committed to honoring military veterans.  I periodically co-teach a 12-week course entitled "Family-To-Family" through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), designed to empower family members whose loved ones have a major mental illness. I recently retired from 4 years service as a member of the NAMI Orange County Board of Directors and as President for 2 years.
2. Private-Sector Work: In the Private Sector I worked for 2 small acoustical consulting companies (Industrial Noise Services and Bio Acoustical Engineering), and 2 large civil engineering companies (Mission Viejo Company and Nolte and Associates).
I began my technical career path as an Acoustical Physicist with project responsibilities. Lots of technical report writing. Within 8 years, I matured my career to supervisor responsibilities. Within approximately 12 years, I grew my career to middle management supervision of multiple technical groups including community acoustics and landscape architecture. At approximately 16 years, I assumed leadership responsibilities as an Associate Director. In 1992, I was laid-off during an economic recession and housing development slowing.
I immediately joined John Wayne Airport staff.
3. Public-Sector Work: In the Public-Sector, I worked for John Wayne Airport (JWA), also know as Orange County Airport and Santa Ana Airport - SNA. Served in the Public Affairs Division as the Manager of Access and Noise for 10 years leading and managing a staff of 5, working daily with 12 domestic Air Carriers and numerous community groups, citizens, agencies and governments.
On 11 SEP 2001 (9/11), I was recalled to military active duty, left my job, home and family for over 2 years, and traveled to 5 continents around the world, including wartime deployment and leadership in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I returned to JWA in NOV 2003 and shifted to the Facilities Division where I served as the Assistant Deputy Airport Director, Facilities.  I had senior leadership responsibility for several divisions including Airport Development, Airport Maintenance, Airport Safety, and Environmental Compliance.
4. Military Service: In the military, I served the United States Coast Guard for 38 years. As a Sophomore at UCI i was in the last military draft with a draft number of 7 out of 365. Two years later, after graduation and the culmination of my Student Deferment, I married a fellow UCI student, Claudia, and 6 weeks later entered Military Basic Training. I was enlisted for 8 years working in the Los Angeles/Long Beach harbors as a Port Security specialist performing commercial vessel inspections and pollution prevention monitoring one weekend each month and two weeks each summer. I applied and competed for a Commission, was selected on my second try and served another 30 years as a Reserve Commissioned Officer, reaching the senior officer rank of Captain, O6. As a Junior Officer (Ensign through Lieutenant Commander) I served as the Officer of the Day at the LA/LB Captain of the Port, Search and Rescue Controller for the Eleventh District, and Planning Officer. I initiated service in the new Expeditionary Warfare commands integrating Coast Guard Reserve and US Navy Reserve members.
As a senior officer (Commander and Captain) for over a decade I served the roles of Planning Officer, Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Deputy Commander. I led multiple military readiness exercises throughout the world.
For 2 years following 9/11 I served as the Naval Coastal Warfare senior officer, deployed to the Northern Arabian Gulf on board the USS Tarawa with senior commander responsibility for approximately 900 personnel in over a dozen units dedicated to the safe flow of military ships and supplies into and out of the region. Later my leadership duties shifted to Coast Guard Deployable Operations program planning and policy. The final 6 years of my career was spent as the Eleventh District Senior Reserve Officer and the Pacific Area Deputy Chief of Staff. My Reserve Officer duties during the last decade of my career involved approximately 20 hours weekly from my home and many days per month traveling and serving. In all my positions Private, Public, and Military I was blessed to provide mentoring support to many fellow organization members.

Career Experience: 
1. Private-Sector, 20 years, occupational and community acoustics and supervision
2. Public-Sector, 20 years, community acoustics, facilities and senior leadership
3. Military Service, 38 years, United States Coast Guard, 8 years enlisted and 30 years commissioned, environmental support and senior leadership
Affiliations: 
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE), Board Certified; Acoustical Society of America (ASA); Reserve Officers Association (ROA), Life Member
Personal Interests: 
1. Visiting and supporting family and friends.
2. Travel throughout the United States and internationally. In the last two decades my wife and I have traveled overseas on about eight trips throughout much of Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
3. Family vacation time in Maui each summer in a rented condo.
4. Photography: I have a good DSLR Canon camera and smart phone, and I'm growing my understanding and capability in taking pictures. This is my creative outlet!
5. Honoring Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside County veterans as a Board Member of Honor Flight Southland. Three times yearly about 36 veterans and their support guardians are honored for three days in Washington D.C. programs.
6. Co-teaching the 12-week"Family-To-Family" program periodically. The typical class of two dozen adult students are deeply empowered and blessed with the broad and cutting-edge information presented through the resources of NAMI.
7. Fishing, both deep sea and fresh water.
8. Casual coin collecting since my youth.
9. Routine exercise - aerobic and strength building - several times weekly.
Type of Students: 
One who is open to exploring and discussing the many possibilities of life's opportunities, to anticipating the serendipity of many life choices, and who is interested in receiving honest, supportive,
encouraging feedback on plans and choices which are both near-term and in the future.
I'm exciting about providing a sounding board, serving as a confidant, and offering input as the student ultimately makes their own choice in every instance.
Number of Students I can Mentor: 
2
Joined Date: 
9 years 6 months ago
Ideal Mentoring Relationship: 
In person meetings for sure! Supplemented by periodic emails, text messages, and phone calls.