Mayor John A. Kinnaird was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved to Thurmont with his parents and sister in April 1960. He is the proud husband of Karen and father of 4 children - Christopher, Heather, Erica and Theresa. Karen and John are the lucky Grandma and Pappy to seventeen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is a 4th generation stone carver and sole proprietor of R. S. Kinnaird Memorials, a small family owned business.
John has created and maintains an on-line album of historic Thurmont images at www.thurmontimages.com The album is dedicated to the memory of his father Robert S. Kinnaird and reflects his family's deep appreciation for the Town of Thurmont, it's history and residents.
His interest in serving the community began as a member of Thurmont Boy Scout Troop 270. Since then he has been associated with and has held leadership positions in many community and non-profit organizations including: St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Thurmont Jaycees, Inc., Frederick County Street Rods, Inc., Downtown Thurmont Business Association, the Thurmont Historical Society, Thurmont Economic Development Committee, Thurmont First Main Street, Inc., the Guardian Hose Company, and the Blue Ridge Cemetery Association.
John's involvement in municipal positions includes 5 years as Chairman of the Media Commission. As a volunteer member of the Media Commission he developed and maintained the town website, www.thurmont.com, for 7 years and also served as camera operator for town meetings and managed the weekly rebroadcast of town meetings for four years. He also served for 6 years as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, with 3 of those as Chairman. During his tenure with the Planning and Zoning he oversaw the Master Plan update and presided over several annexation hearings. Most recently he served 2 years as an elected Town Commissioner.
Mayor Kinnaird has been recognized by several local organizations for his leadership and volunteer work including:
Recipient of the Community Citizen Award presented by the Thurmont Grange in recognition of outstanding service to the Thurmont Community.
Recipient of the First Volunteer of the Year Award presented by the Thurmont Lions Club in recognition of being an active volunteer in the Thurmont Community.
Recipient of a Thurmont Police Department Appreciation Award in recognition of assistance with the Thurmont Police Police Station project and contributions to the Thurmont Community
Graduate as a Fellow of Excellence in Local Governance from the University of Maryland and the Maryland Municipal League.
For 2022, Mayor Kinnaird serves as the liaison to the Planning & Zoning Commission.