A graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the American Bankers Association, Graduate Trust School, and a National Certified Guardian since 2006. John has worked in the fields of social and financial services for more than 20 years. In his position, John is responsible for the business development and administration of Trusts, Conservatorships and Estates. This includes experience with support, special needs, personal injury and complex, multimillion dollar trust accounts.

Mr. Attwood enjoys establishing and maintaining relationships with clients, estate planning attorneys and trial lawyers. Cardinal Trust does not offer in-house investment advice; therefore, we collaborate with the clients’ preferred investment advisor to manage the trust investment assets.

John is not ashamed to consider himself an “old school” trust officer. He is enthusiastic about client service. 

He has worked as a medical decision-maker (National Certified Guardian since 2006) for those with disabilities, and as a corporate trust officer with banks and trust companies, where he specialized in administering personal injury settlements, special needs trusts and conservatorships to enhance the lives of the elderly and injured, including quadriplegic, paraplegic, traumatic brain injured and those challenged with mental illness over the full scale of the spectrum.  John has worked with several New Mexico Trial Lawyers, Guardians ad Litem and been a guest speaker/sponsor at the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Board Retreats.

Mr. Attwood asks each new client or family decision maker, “How can I utilize the trust assets to enhance the quality of life of my client?” He brings this passion to each person he serves.

John serves as Treasurer for The Arc of New Mexico, Vice-President for the New Mexico Estate Planning Council, and board member for the Parker Center for Family Business (UNM Anderson Business School).

He is a proud grandfather of a sweet set of five-year-old twins and three additional, very bright grandchildren.  In his free time, he loves to fish for trout in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.