John Van Gessel received his B.A. from Western Michigan University in 1973, with minors in German and Business Administration and majors in History and Secondary Education. He then earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from Notre Dame Law School in Notre Dame, Indiana. Dr. Van Gessel began his legal career with Chicago and North Western Transportation Company in Chicago, Illinois.

He then served as senior counsel for Chemical Waste Management Inc. In 2001, after some years in private practice in Florida, he became Vice President and Southern Area General Counsel for Waste Management Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia. While at Western Michigan University he received the coveted Freie Universität BeHistoryrlin scholarship, a full-ride grant for year-long study in Berlin.

April 2010