| John N. Tree | |
|---|---|
| Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois 10th District | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 7, 1966 Provo, Utah |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Michelle Tree |
| Alma mater | United States Air Force Academy (B.S.) Chaminade University (M.B.A.) University of Oklahoma (M.A.) |
| Profession | Air Force Officer (Reserve), Colonel (United States) Business Executive |
| Website | http://www.johntree.com |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1990–present |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | HQ United States Air Force, The Pentagon |
| Awards | Meritorious Service Medal Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Joint Service Achievement Medal Air Force Achievement Medal Army Achievement Medal |
John N. Tree is an American politician in the Democratic Party. In November 2011, he announced his candidacy for Illinois's 10th congressional district.[1] He is also a Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve,[2] currently assigned as the Senior Reservist to the Director of Global Combat Support at the Headquarters, United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
He joined the Air Force in 1990 following his graduation from the United States Air Force Academy, and served on active duty for seven years in the logistics, plans, and acquisition career fields. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1997 and has held positions in a traditional reserve wing, as an Air Force Academy liaison officer, and as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). He commanded the 215 men and women of the 38th Aerial Port Squadron at Charleston AFB, SC for three years.
In his civilian life, he has held many positions up to CEO and President of various consumer food product companies, focusing on healthy food. He began his corporate career in marketing and brand management with Procter & Gamble, and then with Kellogg’s, where he was the Director of wholesome snacks, managing such icon brands as NutriGrain, Rice Krispies Treats, and Special K bars. This portfolio of brands generated over $400 million dollars in annual sales. After leaving Kellogg’s in 2004, he created a national beverage company to provide healthy snack drinks to baby boomers.[3] He then went on to become the President of a regional granola company before starting his current position in 2007.
He is married to Michelle Tree, and they have 5 children. It is the second marriage for both of them. Tragically, his oldest daughter from his first marriage, Stephanie Tree, died[4] from an accidental drug overdose[5] in August, 2011. He’s an Eagle Scout and an Assistant Scoutmaster,[6] and his hobbies include home improvement projects, foreign languages, and travel. He is a PADI Divemaster and Master Scuba Diver.
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Tree was born in 1966 in Provo, Utah to Norman and Sallianne Tree while they were both attending Brigham Young University. He is the 2nd oldest of 6 children. His father was a career Air Force fighter pilot who flew combat missions in Vietnam for a year. His family moved around frequently due to his father's demanding military career. The whole family lived in Southern France from 1977 to 1980 while his father was assigned as the U.S. Air Force exchange officer to the French Air Force Academy. While living in France he attended 6th - 8th grades in a local French middle school, and he's completely fluent in French. His family returned to the United States in 1980 where he attended three different high schools over the following four years in California, Michigan, and Utah. He graduated in 1984 from Pleasant Grove High School in Utah. He was very active in the Boy Scouts of America, earning his Eagle Scout while in high school. He excelled academically as well as athletically, garnering varsity letters in swimming, diving, tennis, track, and cross-country.
Following in his Dad's footsteps of lifelong military service, John entered the Air Force Academy in the Summer of 1984. Between his second and third year at the Air Force Academy, John spent two years as a missionary in Haiti where he encountered devastating poverty, malnutrition, high infant mortality and humbling hardship. His mission building homes and tending to those in desperate need changed his life, inspiring him to always to stand up for those in need. He returned to the Air Force Academy and graduated in 1990. Entering active duty, his early assignments were in the fields of logistics and plans in three different locations: California, Hawaii, and Italy. During these early years, then Lieutenant Tree deployed on 4 different occasions (2 times each) to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Given his fluency in both French and Haitian Creole, he was the lead linguist for the Joint Task Force responsible for returning Haitian migrants to Haiti and for Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994. He served as part of the United Nations Mission in Haiti, wearing the blue helmut associated with the United Nations.
As a Captain with seven years of full time service in 1997, he separated from active duty and immediately became a member of the Air Force Reserve. He was soon promoted to Major and became an acquisition officer at the Headquarters of Air Force Material Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He worked on major Air Force programs and weapon systems that were critical to the nation's defense.
In 2004 he deployed to Headquarters United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany for 5 months in support of the war on terror and Operation Enduring Freedom. He worked in the Headquarter's 24/7 European Plans and Operations Center (EPOC), coordinating and directing logistics support of the total war effort. For his exceptional service during this deployment he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal and was later promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
As a Lieutenant Colonel, Tree was appointed the commander of the 38th Aerial Port Squadron in Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. He led his squadron for three years, commanding a team of 215 men and women of the United States Air Force Reserve. During this period his squadron's Airmen were deployed on numerous occasions to combat zones in the middle east, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was promoted to the rank of full Colonel in May, 2008 and was subsequently re-assigned as the Senior Reservist to the Director of Global Channel Operations in the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) at Scott Air Force Base, IL. He held this position for three years until being appointed to his current position in March, 2011 as the Senior Reservist to the Director of Global Combat Support at the Headquarters, United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington D.C. The Global Combat Support Directorate is the Air Force’s focal point for all Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS), which is the deployed capability to provide persistent and effective support for the applications of air and space power on a global basis. The Directorate supports a 1,510-person strong internal organization and over 335,000 Airmen around the world.
In his civilian life, he has held many positions up to CEO and President of various consumer food product companies, focusing on healthy food. He began his corporate career in marketing and brand management with Procter & Gamble, and then with Kellogg’s. His leadership background from the military as well as his two master's degrees were significant factors in his rapid rise through the corporate ranks.
While at Procter & Gamble he worked as an assistant brand manager in their pharmaceutical division, working in two different therapeutic areas: female hormone therapy and cardiac arrhythmia. He guided these innovative treatments to market by leading broad cross-functional teams to achieve great success. He then went to work at Kellogg's where he was initially responsible for developing new products to launch and managing the Rice Krispies Treats brand. In 2002, he was promoted to the Director of wholesome snacks, managing an entire portfolio of icon brands such as NutriGrain, Rice Krispies Treats, and Special K bars. This portfolio of brands generated over $400 million dollars in annual sales for the Kellogg company. After leaving Kellogg’s in 2004, he created a national beverage company and then went on to become the President of a regional granola company before starting his current position in 2007.