John and his wife, Helen, spent more than 60 years together investing in, developing, and serving the city of Atlanta before his passing in 2011.
Among a lengthy list of successful projects and career accolades, standouts include serving as co-chair of the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta, serving as Chairman of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, and successfully renovating historic Georgia buildings into modern loft-style housing. During his tenure with the Georgia World Congress Center, he was credited with being primarily responsible for the Georgia Dome.
John served on the Board of Directors of TUFF for 14 years from 1995-2009. During that time, TUFF developed major milestone projects such as the Gwinnett Center, the Rialto Theater renovations, the University Lofts for Georgia State University, the State of Georgia Archives, the Savannah campus for Georgia Tech, Morehouse student housing, the KSU Center for Kennesaw State University, and Tech Square. In addition to serving on the TUFF Board of Directors for over a decade, John also served on the Board for eight companies, including the Atlanta Falcons.
John received his BSEE and MSIE degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1945 and 1967. After serving as a Naval Officer during the Korean War, he began 15 years with Scripto, Inc., rising to General Manager. In 1967, he began a distinguished career with the Rayloc Division of Genuine Auto Parts, from which he retired in 1992 as Chairman. After retiring from Rayloc, he created Aderhold Properties, which became the leader in urban development through his renovation and conversion of historic properties into modern housing.