John was born and raised in Lexington, KY. He attended The Lexington School from first grade to ninth grade and Sayre for high school. John graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2009 with a BA in Economics. John continued his education at the University of Kentucky and completed a BS in Accounting. He accepted a job with Deloitte in Washington DC as an auditor and obtained his CPA. After advancing at Deloitte, he switched to a local tax firm where he could fulfill his desire to work with and develop relationships with individuals.
John and his wife Laura made the decision to move home to Kentucky where he joined his dad, George Brooks, and aunt Betsy Bulleit in 2016 at Hilliard Lyons. For John this was a perfect fit, as helping individuals find solutions and success with finances brought him great satisfaction. Some of the relationships that John has formed span three generations as John’s grandfather started in the business with his daughter Betsy. To expand his ability to help clients, John continued his education with a certificate in Financial Planning from University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business, earning the Certified Financial Planner designation.
John finds his time outside of work filled with family and passions. John met his wife Laura, a native of Maysville, KY, at Sewanee. You can find Laura and John chasing around their giggling three-year old daughter, Virginia Adair, with her younger sister, Liza, in tow. John is a member of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church serving on their investment committee. He serves as the fund-raising chair for The Lexington School’s alumni council, and is treasurer of the board for the Headley Whitney Museum of art. He is an avid golfer, skier, and angler. Most mornings (far too early), you’ll find him out running with a group. Above all, John finds great fulfillment in helping people.