John van Dongen has been an MLA since 1995. He was elected in a by-election and re-elected in the provincial election in 1996.

Mr. van Dongen studied agricultural economics at the University of British Columbia and he has a dairy farm in Abbotsford.

He has been involved in farm organizations and businesses for almost two decades. He was on the board of directors of the B.C. Dairy Foundation, Agrifoods International Co-operative (Dairyland), B.C. Federation of Dairymen's Association and a member of the Farm Debt Review Board.

He was also chair of the building and finance committee of St. Joseph's Church in Mission for several years.

John and Karen van Dongen have two children.