John and Deborah with daughters, son-in-law, and grandsons

John E. Stone is the former President of U.S. Freedom Foundation, a non-partisan, non-profit conservative organization founded in 2002 to protect the economic interests of middle-income American families.

He is also former Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for both the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA10) and former U.S. Rep. Max Burns (R-GA12).

Prior to entering political life with Rep. Norwood as part of the Republican Revolution in 1994, John was a news anchor and reporter for WBBQ News in Augusta.

John was born in Augusta in 1956, attended Richmond County public schools and graduated from the Academy of Richmond County in 1974. He attended Augusta College (now Augusta State University) from 1975-1976, and the University of Georgia at Athens from 1976-1977. While serving in Washington he has studied at Regent University's Robertson School of Government.

He married the former Deborah Anne Fitzgerald of Hampton, Virginia in 1977 while attending the University of Georgia. The Stones have six daughters and two grandsons, and are lifelong Methodists.

John also served as a Major in the Virginia Defense Force, the reserve to the Virginia National Guard, from 2001-2007 before returning to Georgia.