John Schlimm

John Schlimm (born December 1, 1971) is an American author, activist, artist, and educator. His books include Five Years in Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life's Greatest Questions, The Ultimate Beer Lover's Happy Hour: Over 325 Recipes for Your Favorite Bar Snacks & Beer Cocktails, The Cheesy Vegan, Stand Up!: 75 Young Activists Who Rock the World, And How You Can, Too!, Grilling Vegan Style, and The Tipsy Vegan.

Early years
John was born in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, a small city in Northwestern Pennsylvania, that was once called the "Carbon Capital of the World". He still resides there. The great-great-grandson of Straub Brewery Founder Peter Straub, he grew up immersed in the beer culture and within walking distance of his family's brewery.

Memoir: Five Years in Heaven
In 2015, John released his first memoir, Five Years in Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions.

The book chronicles John's relationship with a nun. In 2016, Five Years in Heaven received a Christopher Award.

Early career
During his early career in the 1990s, John served in the Vice Presidential Communications Office at The White House where he worked with Second Lady Tipper Gore as well as having worked in production and scriptwriting for the national radio series Enterprising Women, fundraising for various national and local non-profits, and country music PR at FrontPage Publicity in Nashville where he worked with Naomi Judd and other superstars.

In 2003, John joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford as an adjunct professor in the Communication and the Arts Department, teaching courses in Public Relations, Communications, and writing. He hosted the radio program Campus Crossfire for five seasons. During the 2006–07 school year, Schlimm was a visiting assistant professor for broadcast communications.

Community involvement
John's ongoing community-based efforts include co-directing the award-winning TEAM STRAUB (an adjunct fundraising arm of the Straub Brewery, Inc.), serving on the board of directors for both Citizens Against Physical, Sexual & Emotional Abuse (CAPSEA) and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, volunteering with the Humane Society, and speaking at VegFests and other events across the country, among other activities.

In 2013, John delivered his keynote address titled "Embrace Compassion, Change the World" on Capitol Hill at the Congressional Vegetarian Staff Association luncheon.

Education
John graduated summa cum laude from Elk County Catholic High School in 1990.

Beginning his college career as a fashion design major at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, he later switched majors and graduated summa cum laude from the university with a bachelor's degree in communications/public relations and a minor in studio arts.

During the late 1990s, he returned to college at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, earning dual Secondary Education Certifications in English and Speech Communications.

In 2002, John graduated with a Master's in Education from Harvard University.