![](https://clevelandmagazine.imgix.net/sitefinity/images/default-source/community-leader/john-zitzner.jpg?sfvrsn=1ca9eb8c_1&w=600&auto=compress%2cformat)
John Zitzner
Friends of Breakthrough Public Schools
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Wittenberg University
First Job: Sales, Moore Business Forms
Toughest Challenge: Starting a school from scratch
Most Inspiring Person: Ernest Shackleton
Best Advice: Remember the 4 Ps: persistence, patience, positive attitude and peace.
Proudest Moment: When the first grads at our schools were graduating from college and thanking their middle school — a Breakthrough School
Important Lesson Learned: The JZ rule of 3s: Everything takes three times as long as you think, costs three times as much, and you get 1/3 the results you thought you’d get. So, never give up.