John Phillips grew up in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a BA in Speech-Communications in 1996. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy as a Cryptologic Technician. He received his commission as an Ensign in 1998 at Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. He served 20 years in the Navy and retired as a Lieutenant Commander (O-4) in 2016. During his time in the Navy, He served aboard the USS Kinkaid (DD 965) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). He also volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan in support of U.S. Army forces in 2014.
John earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies in 2011 at the Naval War College. Following his retirement from the Navy, he attended Tulane University where he was the first graduate of Tulane’s inaugural 3-year JD/MBA program. He then attended the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida where he earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation.
After earning his degree in Taxation, he worked for Grant Thornton in the Mergers and Acquisition section. Prior to being appointed as Undersecretary, John worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office in the appellate section. He joined the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs in January 2024.