Jon learned to juggle while in high school and saw an advertisement for Ringling Bros. Clown College in a Scholastic Magazine. In 1985 Jon went to the Clown College and was given a contract for the Red Unit as a Clown and stilt walker. Jon walked 10 ft tall stilts on Ringling making him 16 ft tall. While on the show he was offered a chance to learn on the trampoline and catch on the trapeze, where after some training he started in 1987 as a catcher on the Flying trapeze. After his Ringling Bros. contract ended he went to Europe performing Flying Trapeze with The Flying Rodleighs and performed in England, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Taiwan, Canada, and Mexico. While in Germany Jon met he now wife Karlene. She was one of his flyers and sister to Rodleigh the troop leader. In 1999 Jon returned to the USA and joined Ringling Bros Circus again to teach a comedy trapeze act to the clowns with his wife. Staying with Ringling for the next 10 years he moved up in the company from Backstage Property Manager, to Operations Manager, then to the General Manager of the Gold Unit then the Red Unit traveling across the country living on the Ringling Bros. Circus train. Now Jon teaches Casting Cradle, Mini Rig (mini trapeze over mats) Teeterboard, trampoline, Acrobatics, and Triple Trapeze at the Sailor Circus