Leading a Life of Service
John Fisher ’76 was one of the 2023 honorable recipients of the Muskingum University Distinguished Service Awards. This award honors alums who have attained the highest levels of achievement in their professions, and their service to others in their communities has had an extraordinary impact on the world.
Fisher began his academic career at Ohio State Newark and Ohio University Zanesville. He spent two years there before he had to choose his next steps.
"At the end of my two years at the branches, I walked into the library, and my acquaintance was sitting at a desk. He said, ‘Hey, where are you going the next two years?’ and I said, ‘I really don't know!’ He then proceeded to tell me that he was going to attend Muskingum, and I said, ‘Really? Tell me about it,’ and then I literally got in my car and drove to New Concord," said John.
John's experience at Muskingum carved the path for his career. He was a first-generation college student and had to maintain a full-time job while pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. While Fisher said it was difficult to balance everything going on in his life, he recalls, "After I explained my situation to the advisor, she said, ‘We will do whatever we can to make you a Muskie.’”
That support from the faculty traveled with John throughout his path at Muskingum. While at Muskingum, his favorite memory, which stays with him throughout his life, was his Religion course.
"The professor presented religion in multiple ways to make it very personal. The course completely opened my eyes,” John said. “It was a class that stays with me today, and I am so grateful for that."
After John graduated from Muskingum in 1976, he decided, through guidance from his advisor, Robert Farlow, to attend graduate school.
"Through his guidance, I applied to multiple schools and got accepted to multiple. I decided to attend the University of Dayton and was employed there, so my college was free," said John.
Earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, he knew this was what he was meant to do. "It was natural for me to gravitate towards Political Science and Public Administration," John said.
After graduate school, he worked in the private sector before he found his way toward his true calling in Job & Family Services. John's 42-year career was capped by his 21 years as Executive Director of the Licking County Department of Job & Family Services. He led the community's federal, state, and county programs for employment training, social, and self-sufficiency services.
"What I liked about the job was the variety within the programs, the variety of customer bases that you serve, and the challenges of trying to bring all of that together to serve the public," John said. "An average day is usually a couple of crises in Children's Services and making sure that the rest of the organization is working and delivering services as it should."
John emphasizes his successful career in the JFS world is due to the team that he worked with daily. He believes in the ideas of teamwork that Muskingum instilled in him during his time as a student there.
"The key is having a team that is assembled and that you have great faith in to do a good job,” John said. “I have often said as director, it is more important to support that team because they are the ones doing the job."
John's team accomplished many things due to their ability to work together. One accomplishment that Fisher speaks very highly of is their adaptation to the 2009 recession.
"Around 2009, during the great recession, we were faced with a reduction of resources, a greater demand for our services, and how we were going to continue to serve the public in need," said John.
Through this struggle that Fisher and his team faced at the Licking County Job & Family Services, they adopted a program called Accreditation.
"Licking County is currently one of ten counties in the state of Ohio that have Accreditation. We use it as a quality benchmark if you will, and as an effort to try to continue to refine our delivery and efficiency of services," said John. As of today, Licking County has maintained Accreditation to help them thoroughly and efficiently serve the public in need.
Upon John's retirement from the Licking County Department of Job & Family Services, he was surprised by the Ohio Department of JFS with a state-wide, annual John Fisher Service Medallion Award.
"I was the first recipient of the award. It will be issued to individuals who are making a difference in their community through the JFS world," said John.
John's family plays a significant role in his successful life and career. He and his wife Marcia have been married for 43 years. They have four children and nine grandchildren.
Through John's life, his years at Muskingum, and a 42-year career serving his community, he has advice for current and future students at Muskingum University.
"I would definitely say sit back and enjoy your college experience because that was not something afforded to me,” John said
And always remember that the impact you are going to make, you are going to make with a team. Individuals seldom stand alone.