Jon Knokey fell in love with Montana when he visited Yellowstone National Park at the age of six. After graduating from high school, Jon knew there was only one place he wanted to be and accepted a scholarship to play quarterback for the Montana State Bobcat football team.

After graduating from the College of Business, Jon was hired as a cold-call sales representative for a technology start-up located near the MSU campus. The business quickly grew to over 2,000 customers that included many Fortune 500 companies as well as large International firms. Jon worked his way up from making cold-calls to Vice President.

Jon knows what it takes to create 21st century jobs here in Montana.

Jon values education and received a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Masters in Business Administration from Dartmouth College. After graduating with degrees at the intersection of business innovation and economic growth, Jon was confronted with the cold reality that to return to Montana it would require a massive pay cut. The need to create high-paying jobs in Montana will be Jon's #1 legislative priority!

Jon was a coach and mentor for the Bozeman Hawks and served as a college Professor teaching Government and Political Science. He is also the author of the book Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of American Leadership, an intimate look into how Theodore Roosevelt overcame political partisanship and united America. He has been a member of Leadership Bozeman and was active in the Chamber of Commerce. Jon is a sportsman and loves fly-fishing and elk hunting.

Most importantly, Jon cherishes his family. He and Meghan (a personal trainer at The Ridge Athletic Club) have been married (at Chico Hot Springs) for over a decade and have two young daughters. A third child is on the way September 2016.

Jon attributes his desire to join the Montana Legislature because he wants to provide better opportunities for his children and the future of Montana. “We need leaders who are inspired to lead government away from its current path of debt and bureaucracy to a model fit for 21st century success,” Knokey said at a recent event. “We need new leaders focused on government efficiency and productivity, leaders that will fight for individual rights, promote justice and equality, and empower economic innovation.”

Jon has experience in high-technology, large scale business investments, software enablement, agriculture economics, advanced education, athletics and teamwork, smart public policy, and small business innovation.

Jon is the type of person we need in Helena to modernize government and enable the Montana work ethic to win in the 21st century.