John Horton wages an ongoing war against drugs and against technological malfunctions every day. As president of Layer 3 Technology and founder of the statewide Don’t Meth With Missouri program, Horton continually works to make business and community a better place.
Horton was the sole employee when he started the information technology company in October 1996, and today Layer 3 Technology employs 10 and supports a large customer base. The company provides IT infrastructure support, Internet Cloud services and disaster recovery to keep more than 200 clients, including Marlin Network Inc. and DeWitt & Associates Inc., running smoothly.
“As president, I’m responsible for sales, administration, accounting, employee recruitment, customer satisfaction and retention, solution design, proposal generation and consulting services directly to customers,” Horton says, noting he also manages business and vendor relationships and certifications.
Outside the office, Horton has made time to serve southwest Missouri. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast and is involved with the Springfield Jaycees, the Association of Information Technology Professionals, Leadership Springfield alumni, Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, Greater Ozarks Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Northside Betterment Association. Horton’s schedule is full.
However, he says his proudest accomplishment came when he decided to help tackle southwest Missouri’s methamphetamine problem.
“I met a gentlemen from Farmington, N.M., who started educating fifth-grade students on the dangers of methamphetamine,” he says. “They had been doing the program for five years and had made a tremendous reduction in high school drug arrests. My first board meeting as president of the Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast, I formed a committee of volunteers to evaluate the need in Springfield and the feasibility of our club to take on this challenge.”
The idea grew into an educational program for 2,000 students in eight months, 10,000 by the next year and in less than two years Don’t Meth With Missouri formed a 501(c)3 and organized a board.
“Hopefully, these education efforts will help reduce the chance our young people will experiment with such an addicting drug,” Horton says, adding 10 surrounding communities have picked up the school program in the past year.
Horton has received the Safeco Community Heroes Award, a Rotary Presidential Citation with Distinction, the 2012 Kenworthy Award for Outstanding Leadership for Leadership Springfield, and Volunteer of the Year 2008 with Rock’n Ribs.
A 1985 MSU graduate with a bachelor’s in computer information systems, Horton says through his work and community endeavors he hopes to simply be a role model for others.
“I have tried to share my knowledge and skill with other people and organizations,” he says. “I take the time to listen to others and help them in anyway I can.”[[In-content Ad]]
