Our Next Speaker
Dr. John M. O'Bannon III, Chairman of the Virginia State Board of Elections; “The State Board of Elections. Supporting Accurate, Fair, Open and Secure Elections”
Dr. John O’Bannon is a lifelong Virginian. As a child growing up on a farm in Rappahannock County, John helped his family sell apples at the family fruit stand near Skyline Drive. A graduate of Hargrave Military Academy and the University of Richmond, John attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, where he was elected President of the Student Body. Later, as a resident at MCV, he was elected President of the Housestaff Council, served as Chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Committee, and was named Chief Resident in Neurology.
A well-regarded physician, John O’Bannon was a partner in Neurological Associates Richmond medical practice. He has served as Chief of Staff of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and served on the Board of Trustees. He served 2 terms on the VCU Health System Authority Board. His peers named him “Outstanding Physician of the Year” in Richmond Magazine’s annual poll.
John is a national leader in improving the medical profession. In the American Medical Association, he served on the AMA Delegation from the Medical Society of Virginia and as a member of the AMA’s Council for Ethical and Judicial Affairs from 1997 through 2004. He is past Chair of the Board of the Richmond Academy of Medicine where, as Chair of the Legislative Committee, he helped pass the Virginia Patients’ Bill of Rights.
Within our community, he is a member of the West Richmond Rotary Club and has served on many Boards including: The Virginia Home, Virginia War Memorial Foundation, VPAP, Tuckahoe YMCA, Hargrave Military Academy, The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, and the Science Museum of Virginia. John served in the House of Delegates/VA General Assembly for 17 years, serving on JLARC and other commissions. He served on the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee, Appropriations Committee and Privileges and Elections Committee. He is currently Chairman of the State Board of Elections.
John and Pat O’Bannon have been married for 51 years and reside in Western Henrico. Pat O’Bannon is a former public-school teacher who served as Henrico County Supervisor for the Tuckahoe District for 28 years, retiring in 2023. The family attends River Road Baptist Church. John and Pat have three children, John, Virginia, and Andy, all graduates of Henrico County Public Schools. They have 5 grandchildren.