PERSON: John Velis

John Christopher Velis (born January 26, 1979) is an American politician and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He is a Democrat from Westfield, Massachusetts and represents the 4th Hampden district. elis joined the military in 2011 as a member of the United States Army Reserve and is currently a Captain in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps as part of the 3rd Legal Operations Detachment.

Velis was born on January 26, 1979 in Westfield, Massachusetts to Susan and Jim Velis, one of three children with his brother Adam and sister Jennifer. His uncle, Peter Velis, served as a Hampden Superior Court Judge from 1999–2012 and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he represented the 5th Hampden district (Southampton, Montgomery, and Westfield) from 1973–1979. He was educated at Westfield High School and graduated in 1998, attended Roxbury Community College, graduated from University of South Florida in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in political science, and from Suffolk University Law School in 2008 with a Juris Doctor.

Prior to practicing law with his uncle, Velis spent time a number of government settings holding internships in the Hampden County District attorney’s office, Hampden County Superior Court and the Massachusetts Treasurer’s office. He was also an intern at the White House during the term of President George W. Bush. After returning to civilian life, Velis was appointed by Westfield Mayor Daniel Knapik to the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities and is a volunteer basketball coach for the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club.

Velis’s political career began when he declared his candidacy for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 4th Hampden District seat held by incumbent Republican State Representative Donald Humason, Jr. However, Humason won a special election to the Massachusetts Senate after Michael Knapik resigned to take a job at Westfield State University, triggering another special election. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican opponent At-large City Councilor Dan Allie in the general election on April 1, becoming the first Democrat to represent Westfield in 35 years. He began serving the remaining 7 months of Humason’s House term and campaigned for a first full-term in the regular November election, defeating Allie in a rematch. He was re-elected to a second term unopposed.

While on active duty in Afghanistan, Velis participated in the War in Afghanistan’s Operation Enduring Freedom and taught the Rule of Law to tribal leaders and brought warring parties together to achieve peaceful solutions, overseeing all ISAF-NATO rule of law efforts throughout the Zabul Province in the war-torn nation.