To celebrate the success of the recent mental health awareness campaign in Summit County, to honor individuals and organizations who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to promoting mental wellness, to promote volunteerism and community involvement.
In his native Chicago John served on the board of his neighborhood Chamber of Commerce, was one of the co-founders of the Chicago International Wine Festival and headed the Food and Beverage division of Chicago’s United Jewish Federation.
During his time in Chicago he was a wine merchant, restaurant proprietor, wine writer and wine educator.
In 1965 John founded a nationally-known Chicago fondue restaurant, Geja’s Cafe, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. Additionally, John was the founder and CEO of a direct marketing wine company, Wine Insiders, which ships wine directly to consumers across the U.S.
After moving to Utah in 2008 with his wife and son, John became a volunteer for the Peace House. In 2025 seeing a need to raise awareness of mental health challenges he founded the non-profit Summit Support.
