John C. Keegan
Encyclopedia
John Charles Keegan is a retired judge
of the Justice Court
in Maricopa County, Arizona
. He was Mayor of Peoria
, Arizona
from June 1997 to January 2007. He has served in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy and been elected office in all three branches of government. He chaired the Professional Standards Committee and was an outspoken advocate for increased accountability of judges. Additionally, Judge Keegan was a juvenile hearing officer and actively involved in issues of underage drinking, truancy, and other youth offenses.
, environmental protection
, cultural opportunities, and economic development
in the city. During this time, the population of Peoria more than doubled and the city was consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
To meet the need of explosive growth in Peoria, Keegan created the first public-private partnership to build a charter school
to increase classroom capacity. At his direction, Peoria instituted an ethics committee for elected officials as well as appointed officers. A program to confiscate illegal weapons on campuses initiated by Mayor Keegan led to reduced violence and increased safety in local schools. In 1999 he was given the Defender of Decency Award by Americans for Decency for his efforts to restrict sexually oriented businesses in the city. http://www.americansfordecency.com/ Of particular note was the creation of the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts
and the Peoria Mountain Park Preserve. Property taxes were lowered four times. In 2005 and early 2006 Keegan was instrumental in raising over $400,000 in equipment, supplies, and cash to assist the City of Long Beach, Mississippi
recover from Hurricane Katrina
.
Keegan led a successful regional effort of local governments and businesses to protect Luke Air Force Base
from encroachment and potential closure through the Base Realignment and Closure
or BRAC process by lobbying for state and federal legislation as well as local zoning protection for the base. His meetings with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, Governor of Arizona, White House
staff and congressional leaders ultimately were successful. The Maricopa Association of Governments recognized Keegan in 2001 with the Desert Peaks Award for Distinguished Service for his commitment to regional cooperation. Keegan was instrumental in having the Challenger Center in Peoria, an aerospace and science education organization, officially designated as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C.; one of only two such designations in the state of Arizona. In 2005 he led a statewide effort to expand access to the Pentagon Channel
for service members in Arizona.
In 1991 to 1995, Keegan served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives
. In the legislature, Keegan chaired the Criminal Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee, was Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee
, and was the first Chairman of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. He was an active member of several state and local organizations dealing with juvenile crime and formed a collation of prosecutors, police agencies, and school officials to develop legislation and other solutions to the issue. As a member of the House government committee, he was a leading advocate for reform. In 1994 a political opponent accused him of campaign irregularities. No charges were ever brought, although he withdrew from the race for unrelated reasons. The officials charged with conducting the investigation into the allegations, Grant Woods, Arizona
Attorney General
, and Jane Dee Hull
, Arizona
Secretary of State
and later governor, subsequently endorsed Keegan in his election for Mayor of Peoria.
In 2002, he was a Republican
candidate for the United States Congress
from the second congressional district in Arizona. Senator John McCain
was the chairman of Keegan's congressional campaign committee. In 1996 John Keegan was elected to the Maricopa County Charter Government Commission. The commission was an unsuccessful attempt to modernize the 19th century governance model for the county.
.
He served on active duty in the US Army and in the US Naval Reserve; and retired with the rank of Commander
. In his last several assignments, he was a special agent
with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS).
Judge Keegan received his undergraduate education at the United States Military Academy
, West Point, New York
, and Arizona State University
, Tempe, Arizona
and has a masters degree in planning
from the Defense Intelligence Agency graduate
program. He completed post-graduate studies in strategic planning at the Naval War College
, Newport
, Rhode Island
, and in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
. He is a graduate of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
, in Georgia
.
In 2005, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America
presented John Keegan with the Silver Beaver Award
for "distinguished service to youth." In 2008 he was elected president of the Grand Canyon Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves approximately 80,000 youth and adult volunteers throughout Arizona. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in establishing the first Boy Scout
troop inside a juvenile correctional facility in the United States. He is a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association
, and a former churchwarden
of the Episcopal Church
and is a member of the Peoria Masonic lodge
. His hobbies include firing his full scale American Civil War
mountain howitzer
.
Keegan has provided political commentary to local and national radio and television networks such as PBS and NPR
as well as commercial networks. He has had articles published by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Naval Institute magazine Proceedings
, and The Artilleryman. Since 1998, he has written monthly articles on state and local issues for the Arizona Republic, and numerous local publications.
Keegan’s family first came to Arizona during the American Civil War
. His grandfather, William Keegan and his great-grandfather, John J. Keegan were both mayors of Globe, Arizona
. Additionally, John J. Keegan was a member of Arizona’s constitutional convention
in 1910.
Judge Keegan’s courtroom displays a large sign with the preamble
to the Arizona Constitution
: We the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
John Keegan is married to Lisa Graham Keegan
, and they have five children.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Justice Court
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He was Mayor of Peoria
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
from June 1997 to January 2007. He has served in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy and been elected office in all three branches of government. He chaired the Professional Standards Committee and was an outspoken advocate for increased accountability of judges. Additionally, Judge Keegan was a juvenile hearing officer and actively involved in issues of underage drinking, truancy, and other youth offenses.
Political career
While he was mayor, Keegan initiated major changes to land use planningLand use planning
Land-use planning is the term used for a branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient and ethical way, thus preventing land-use conflicts. Governments use land-use planning to manage the development of land within their...
, environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
, cultural opportunities, and economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
in the city. During this time, the population of Peoria more than doubled and the city was consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
To meet the need of explosive growth in Peoria, Keegan created the first public-private partnership to build a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
to increase classroom capacity. At his direction, Peoria instituted an ethics committee for elected officials as well as appointed officers. A program to confiscate illegal weapons on campuses initiated by Mayor Keegan led to reduced violence and increased safety in local schools. In 1999 he was given the Defender of Decency Award by Americans for Decency for his efforts to restrict sexually oriented businesses in the city. http://www.americansfordecency.com/ Of particular note was the creation of the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts
Peoria Center for the Performing Arts
The Peoria Center for the Performing Arts is a 250 seat theater in Peoria, Arizona. It opened in December 2006 and is operated by the acting company "Theater Works".Received Best New Playhouse in 2008 by Phoenix New Times.Best New Playhouse....
and the Peoria Mountain Park Preserve. Property taxes were lowered four times. In 2005 and early 2006 Keegan was instrumental in raising over $400,000 in equipment, supplies, and cash to assist the City of Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, USA. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...
recover from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Keegan led a successful regional effort of local governments and businesses to protect Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
from encroachment and potential closure through the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
or BRAC process by lobbying for state and federal legislation as well as local zoning protection for the base. His meetings with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, Governor of Arizona, White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
staff and congressional leaders ultimately were successful. The Maricopa Association of Governments recognized Keegan in 2001 with the Desert Peaks Award for Distinguished Service for his commitment to regional cooperation. Keegan was instrumental in having the Challenger Center in Peoria, an aerospace and science education organization, officially designated as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C.; one of only two such designations in the state of Arizona. In 2005 he led a statewide effort to expand access to the Pentagon Channel
Pentagon Channel
The Pentagon Channel is a TV channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is widely available on US Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels, can be viewed FTA in most Central and Western European countries ,...
for service members in Arizona.
In 1991 to 1995, Keegan served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
. In the legislature, Keegan chaired the Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
Appropriations Subcommittee, was Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee
Judiciary Committee
Judiciary Committee may refer to:* United States House Committee on the Judiciary* United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary...
, and was the first Chairman of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. He was an active member of several state and local organizations dealing with juvenile crime and formed a collation of prosecutors, police agencies, and school officials to develop legislation and other solutions to the issue. As a member of the House government committee, he was a leading advocate for reform. In 1994 a political opponent accused him of campaign irregularities. No charges were ever brought, although he withdrew from the race for unrelated reasons. The officials charged with conducting the investigation into the allegations, Grant Woods, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, and Jane Dee Hull
Jane Dee Hull
Jane Dee Hull was the second woman to serve as Governor of Arizona, the first female Republican governor of the state, and the first woman to be elected to the position.-Biography:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
and later governor, subsequently endorsed Keegan in his election for Mayor of Peoria.
In 2002, he was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from the second congressional district in Arizona. Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
was the chairman of Keegan's congressional campaign committee. In 1996 John Keegan was elected to the Maricopa County Charter Government Commission. The commission was an unsuccessful attempt to modernize the 19th century governance model for the county.
Earlier career
Professionally he was a consulting engineer and small business owner, and is the former president of the Arizona Society of Professional EngineersNational Society of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...
.
He served on active duty in the US Army and in the US Naval Reserve; and retired with the rank of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
. In his last several assignments, he was a special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS).
Judge Keegan received his undergraduate education at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, West Point, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
and has a masters degree in planning
from the Defense Intelligence Agency graduate
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
program. He completed post-graduate studies in strategic planning at the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
, Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He is a graduate of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for 90 United States government federal law enforcement agencies.-Location:...
, in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Personal information
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
presented John Keegan with the Silver Beaver Award
Silver Beaver Award
The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council...
for "distinguished service to youth." In 2008 he was elected president of the Grand Canyon Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves approximately 80,000 youth and adult volunteers throughout Arizona. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in establishing the first Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
troop inside a juvenile correctional facility in the United States. He is a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association
National Eagle Scout Association
The National Eagle Scout Association is an organization of men who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America...
, and a former churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and is a member of the Peoria Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
. His hobbies include firing his full scale American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
mountain howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
.
Keegan has provided political commentary to local and national radio and television networks such as PBS and NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
as well as commercial networks. He has had articles published by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Naval Institute magazine Proceedings
Proceedings
In academia, proceedings are the collection of academic papers that are published in the context of an academic conference. They are usually distributed as printed books either before the conference opens or after the conference has closed. Proceedings contain the contributions made by researchers...
, and The Artilleryman. Since 1998, he has written monthly articles on state and local issues for the Arizona Republic, and numerous local publications.
Keegan’s family first came to Arizona during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. His grandfather, William Keegan and his great-grandfather, John J. Keegan were both mayors of Globe, Arizona
Globe, Arizona
Globe has an arid climate, characterized by hot summers and moderate to warm winters. Globe's arid climate is somewhat tempered by its elevation, however, leading to slightly cooler temperatures and slightly more precipitation than Phoenix or Yuma....
. Additionally, John J. Keegan was a member of Arizona’s constitutional convention
Arizona Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arizona is the governing document and framework for the U.S. state of Arizona. The current constitution is the first and only adopted by the state of Arizona.-History:...
in 1910.
Judge Keegan’s courtroom displays a large sign with the preamble
Preamble
A preamble is an introductory and expressionary statement in a document that explains the document's purpose and underlying philosophy. When applied to the opening paragraphs of a statute, it may recite historical facts pertinent to the subject of the statute...
to the Arizona Constitution
Arizona Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arizona is the governing document and framework for the U.S. state of Arizona. The current constitution is the first and only adopted by the state of Arizona.-History:...
: We the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
John Keegan is married to Lisa Graham Keegan
Lisa Graham Keegan
Lisa Graham Keegan is an American education reform advocate. Since 2010 she has been the CEO of the Education Breakthrough Network....
, and they have five children.
See also
- List of Eagle Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)