John Klink

John Klink has served in extensive diplomatic, business and socio-economic development/humanitarian service capacities in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East for over 35 years.

Mr. Klink was born in Laramie, Wyoming, the grandson of Irish and German pioneer ranchers. He received his B.A. degree from Santa Clara University that included a Junior Year Abroad Program in Rome, and then studied French at the Universitè d’Aix-Marseilles and Italian at L’Università per gli Stanieri in Perugia, Italy. He then received his M.A. degree from Georgetown University in Washington.

In his early 20’s Mr. Klink joined Catholic Relief Services where he served as a CRS executive in Morocco, Italy, the Yemen Arab Republic, and Haiti, during war and revolution in the latter two countries. He was assigned to head up CRS’ largest global program in Thailand during the Cambodian Crisis where CRS cared for 400,000 Khmer Refugees.

Mr. Klink was then asked by the Holy See to serve as its representative on the UNICEF Executive Board at UN Headquarters in NY and concurrently became one of the lead diplomat negotiators for the Holy See Mission to the U.N.. His service to the Holy See included diplomatic negotiations at 17 UN World Conferences over 14 years including: the Rio de Janeiro Conference on the Environment, the Cairo Population Conference, the Beijing Women’s Conference, the Copenhagen Conference on Economic & Social Development, the Istanbul Habitat Conference; and the Rome Conference for the Establishment of International Criminal Court. He was named by Pope St. John Paul II as a Consultor for the Pontifical Council for the Family, and in recognition of his contributions to the Holy See, His Holiness named Mr. Klink a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Mr. Klink subsequently served the George W. Bush White House as an Advisor on Catholic Issues for the duration of the Bush Presidency and was named to 9 UN World Conferences as a Special Senior Advisor by the U.S. State Dept. He also served on the official U.S. Presidential Delegation to Pope John Paul II’s 25th Anniversary and the Beatification of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta (with whom he had the honor to work in both Rome and Yemen). In 2006 Mr. Klink was elected to serve as the President and Chairman of the Governing Committee of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) created by Pope Pius XII and the future St. Pope Paul VI to coalese the migration- related efforts of all of the world’s Catholic Bishops conferences. During his 9 year tenure he sought to prioritize global attention on the burgeoning Syrian Crisis, and anti-trafficking initiatives which he recommended be centered around the Church’s adoption of St. Josephine Baghita’s Feast Day as a global day of prayer and anti-trafficking action. This recommendation was subsequently enacted by Pope Francis. As ICMC President he also initiated ICMC’s first fund-raising efforts in the United States.

Mr. Klink was received into the American Association of the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 1992 and has been active in assisting the SMOM internationally.

Additionally, he is a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a Knight of Sts. Maurice & Lazarus, a Knight of the Constantinian Order of St. George, and a Knight of Columbus.

Mr. Klink was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve on the Trump/Pence Campaign Catholic Advisory Group during the last U.S. Presidential Campaign. He continues to serve on the Interfaith Leaders Group and the Catholic Group serving the White House Office of Public Liaison.

In addition to his public and Church service, Mr. Klink has worked on Wall Street in the financial sector, and in real estate development in both New York and California. He currently serves as an international business consultant and on a variety of executive boards of humanitarian organizations including: the Holy See Mission to the UN’s Path-to- Peace Foundation; the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, CA; Villa Majella Maternity Home in Santa Barbara, CA; and the International Catholic Legislators’ Network (ICLN Western Hemisphere Chapter) that prioritizes the protection of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East/globally. Under the patronage of Cardinals Shönborn & Rai and Lord David Alton, ICLN works closely with international leaders committed to religious freedom.

Mr. Klink has been married to his very lovely and patient wife Patricia for 35 years. John and Patricia currently live in Umbria, Italy. They have two grown adopted children and two grandchildren. He and his family have dual U.S. and Irish citizenship.