Welcome to Neyer Interests

John Neyer puts his pants on two legs at a time.

This bit of acrobatic attiring started out as a teenage protest of clichés and tired thinking. While the habit gets trickier with each passing year, it continues as a daily reminder to challenge conventional wisdom and explore all side of an issue before passing judgment…..if indeed judgment needs to be passed at all.

A lifelong, sixth generation Cincinnatian, John grew up in Mt. Lookout, attending St. Ursula Villa and then St. Xavier High School. John graduated from DePauw University with a B.A. in Political Science. More importantly, he graduated with his soon-to-be wife, Sara Lyon Neyer, whom he met at school.

After brief adventures in the printing business and community newspaper publishing, John joined Al. Neyer, Inc., his family’s real estate and construction business. In 2003, looking to his own path, John carved out the property management operation and formed Neyer Management. Having grown more than 2,000% since its founding in 2003, Neyer Management is now the largest independent property manager in the region. Neyer Management has been included in the Greater Cincinnati Fast 55 and was also ranked on Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest growing companies in the nation.

Outside of Neyer Management, John has been active in a number of organizations in the community. John was an early board member and eventually board chair of the Holocaust and Humanity Center. He was also a 12 year board member and President of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. Other service to the community includes DePaul Cristo Rey, where he chaired the Facilities Committee during a $20,000,000 campus expansion.

In 2021, John undertook his largest effort in community service yet, agreeing to be Interim Director of Cincinnati Parks, at that time the 4 highest rated parks system in the United States. Stepping into a sudden leadership void at this $25,000,000 annual budget organization of more than 200 employees required intense engagement, rapid rebuilding of trust among the staff and interfacing deftly with diverse constituencies in government, environmental activists and representatives of all 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods.

In 2024, John was appointed my Mayor Aftab Pureval to be a member of the Cincinnati Board of Parks Commissioners, the 5-member board that governs the 5,000 acre park system.

John was a member of Leadership Cincinnati, Class XXV. He was named to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 40 under 40 list. In 2013, John was also selected as a Cincinnati Parks Foundation Gentleman of Substance and Style. He was also named as one of Ten Who Made a Difference by the Holocaust and Humanity Center. John was named to the Midwest Real Estate Hall of Fame in 2019.

John and Sara celebrated 28 years of marriage this past year. They live in the Summerside neighborhood on the east side of Cincinnati on a mini-farm where they keep highland cows, Valais Blacknose sheep, heritage breed chickens, bees, peacocks and an ever-growing flower farm. Their daughters are Hope(24) and Kat(22).