John J. Deal is a native of Ohio who ultimately tired of the cold winters and ended up in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio and the University of Iowa. Prior to serving as Town Manager of Glen Ridge, he spent more than 40 years in higher education, first as a Professor of Music Education and Conducting and then as an administrator, serving as Dean of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at the University North Carolina-Greensboro for 13 years before retirement. John enjoys woodworking, writing, boats, cooking, and, most recently, art. His love of watercolor painting has now expanded into oils, and he can be found in his home studio most afternoons playing with paints, brushes, and canvasses.