John Kozel – A Lifelong Rochester Resident

John Kozel was born in Frysava, a town located in Zd’ar nad Sazavou district of Czechoslovakia. He was married to Mary and together they raised their children.

Mr Kozel began as a farmer before venturing into business. Nowadays, he owns both a plant and lumber yard in Morrowville, as well as an opera house.

Early Life and Education

John Kozel was born in Frysava (later Frysava pod Zakovou horou), Zd’ar nad Sazavou district, Czechoslovakia. At 19 years old he moved to Nebraska and married Emilie Kalina the following year.

His early education was received at rural schools near Fairbury and Morrowville, providing him with the equivalent of a high school education. Furthermore, he worked on farms in the region.

Kozel was an active student in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Additionally, she participated in the divestment movement and helped establish Coalition in Solidarity with South African Liberation.

Her research focuses on Quakers and their allies in the New Jersey abolitionist movement, and she is currently working on a book entitled Why Wench Betty’s Story Matters: The Murder of a Slave in 1784. Additionally, she has earned Public Scholar recognition from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Professional Career

John Kozel, a North Augusta, SC native, has been employed at Sims Pump Valve Company Inc since June 2017 and currently serves as President.

The company is a major provider of industrial gas valves and controls. He also supervises the engineering, quality assurance and customer service departments.

Kozel is currently employed at Sims but also serves on the board of directors for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He previously held memberships in the National Association of Manufacturers, Business-to-Business Council and Executive Management Roundtable.

Kozel specializes in constitutional law, federal courts, information privacy and contract law. He is the author of “Settled Versus Right: A Theory of Precedent” and faculty director for the Program on Constitutional Structure. In 2014 he was recognized as a distinguished teacher of the year by his students for his contributions to these fields.

Achievements and Honors

John Kozel was not only an accomplished businessman, but also a passionate community leader. His contributions to Rochester included helping start-up businesses and providing support to local nonprofit organizations.

He served on the boards of both Rochester Business Alliance and Rochester Community Foundation, and served as director on Temple Beth El, Midvale Country Club and Jewish Community Center boards.

Kozel was an enthusiastic supporter of the RIT Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its Venture Creations program. Additionally, he had long been associated with ONLA, being the recipient of several OFMA scholarship awards.

Personal Life

John Kozel was an accomplished painter and illustrator, passionate about creating cartoons. He had a keen interest in history and loved learning about people’s lives from around the globe.

In his free time, he enjoyed reading and listening to folk music. Additionally, he taught cooking classes and attended science-fiction conventions.

His passions for science, nature, arts and cuisine informed his writings. He was particularly influenced by Peter Onuf, Annette Gordon-Reed, Lucia Stanton, Daniel Walkowitz, Carlo Ginzburg, Ari Helo, John Hope Franklin Nicholas E Magnis Maurice Jackson Madison Hemings and Thomas Jefferson himself; these writers helped him consider the value and meaning of equality within the Atlantic world as well as its expressions in various forms from late 18th to 19th century.

Net Worth

American millionaire owner of Bermuda-registered Gulf Keystone Petroleum, an oil explorer in the Middle East and other regions. He owns Shaikan-1 well in Northern Iraq as well as several other wells, plus a house at Cumberland House in Hamilton courtesy of Cox Hallett Wilkinson.

He is an ardent philanthropist, having made significant donations to the University of Texas, Bermudian College, and other charities. Additionally, he owns Winsor House near Ross Perot’s house in Tucker’s Town but does not reside there.

He is also the owner of Cambridge Executive Enterprises in Massachusetts, which provides technology-related training to business executives. According to estimates, his net worth is estimated at $100 million.