Meet John!
John K. Roberts is a Realtor and the Chief Financial Officer of Roberts Real Estate, Inc. John is a native Ocalan, a fifth generation Floridian, and a third generation Realtor. He earned a degree in Business from the University of Florida, an MBA from Rollins College and a Masters of Real Estate from the University of Florida.
After graduation, John moved to Jacksonville in 2007 where he began his banking career with The Jacksonville Bank. While at The Jacksonville Bank, John gained extensive experience in both consumer and commercial lending. In 2012, he joined CenterState Bank as a commercial lender where he had a very productive tenure focusing primarily on commercial real estate lending.
In 2015, John and his family moved home to join the family business. John is married to Molly Roberts and they have three children, John, Emma, and William. They are active members of Ocala's First United Methodist Church and are involved in a number of local charitable and cultural organizations. John currently serves on the College of Central Florida Foundation Board as well as the Advent Health Foundation Board.
--- ABOUT LITERACY COUNCIL ---
OUR MISSION: The Marion County Literacy Council enriches quality of life for adults in Ocala and Marion County by helping them build and improve their literacy skills. Our programs and services enhance people’s personal and professional circumstances—and create opportunity for them—one word at a time.
OUR VISION: The Marion County Literacy Council envisions an inclusive, equitable community in which every adult knows how to read and write capably and with confidence. We are committed to helping every adult acquire skills that will empower them to engage fully with, contribute to, and flourish within our community. We aspire to be a model provider of world-class literacy education in Ocala, greater Marion County, and beyond—and a place that makes a positive difference in people’s lives.
OUR SERVICES: The Marion County Literacy Council offers adult literacy services in the form of three core programs: Adult Basic Education (helping adults learn how to read and write); GED (helping adults earn their GEDs); and ESOL (helping adults become more capable, more confident speakers of English). We offer these services at our main downtown location, and also at a variety of locations across Marion County.
OUR WHY: In Marion County, an estimated 1 in 5 adults cannot read above a fifth-grade level. This means that everyday tasks that most of us take for granted are difficult for many adults in our community. Simple tasks such as paying a bill, helping a child with homework, grocery shopping, filling out a job application, or reading a prescription are overwhelming. It has also been shown that, on average, 100 hours of adult literacy education can raise a person’s annual income by as much as $10,000.
The Marion County Literacy Council serves and supports people in Ocala and Marion County who, historically, have been underserved or left behind. Our students are majority women (75%), they are majority people of color (60%), many of them live in rural and underserved communities, and almost all of them come from socio-economically disadvantaged families.
Low literacy is costly not only to individuals and families, but also to employers and to our community more broadly. Individuals with low literacy struggle to find employment and they often settle for low-paying jobs while fighting to increase their earning power to support their families. Perhaps most heartbreaking is the long-term effect that parents’ low literacy has on their children. Low literacy is an intergenerational ill: the strongest indicator of a child’s success in school is that child's mother’s level of education. By having the courage to seek our services, our students are trying to break the cycle of low education and poverty. The goal of the Marion County Literacy Council is to help aspiring adults in our community – especially those who are socio-economically disadvantaged – improve their quality of life by giving them critical tools to build better, happier lives for themselves and their families.