When Brother John Festervand (Middle Tennessee State ’04) joined Colorado State University in 2015, he brought more than a decade of experience from major universities across the South — including Alabama, TCU, and Ole Miss. His career began in athletics, where he spent years leading marketing, sponsorship, and game-day operations.
“I used to think my impact came from how many people I could get into the stadium for a TCU football, volleyball, or basketball game,” he said with a grin. “Eventually, I realized I wanted something deeper — to build relationships and opportunities that would outlast any final score.”
That realization led him into university development — and ultimately westward, to Colorado. “It really was a calling,” Festervand reflected. “I wanted to challenge myself and see if the skills I’d built in relationship-building could make a difference in a completely new environment.”
At CSU, Festervand discovered a new kind of competition — one focused on building people instead of programs. “Philanthropy is a powerful tool,” he said. “The key is learning how to use it to make real change.”
Finding Purpose in Agriculture
Four years after arriving at CSU, Festervand transitioned to the College of Agricultural Sciences — a move that reshaped both his career and his perspective.
“I didn’t have much exposure to agriculture growing up — beyond knowing where the grocery store was,” he joked. “But it’s been such a blessing to get to know the ag industry and, more importantly, the people who make it what it is. Some of the best people I’ve met in my life are those who work in agriculture. Their sense of family, purpose, humility, and innovation inspired me from day one.”
A Meeting That Changed Everything
In 2019, during Ag Week at CSU, Festervand attended the grand opening of the Temple Grandin Equine Center, where he met Dr. Temple Grandin for the first time.
Photo of Dr. Grandin featured in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Grandin — a world-renowned animal behaviorist, best-selling author, and autism advocate — revolutionized the livestock industry through her humane handling systems, which are now used in facilities that process more than half the cattle in North America. She has also become one of the world’s most recognized voices for neurodiversity, inspiring millions to see autism as a different, not lesser, way of thinking.
“What struck me most was Temple’s authenticity,” Festervand said. “She’s a brilliant animal scientist who uses her autism to see the world differently — and that difference has made a profound impact across so many fields. Every time you talk with her, you learn something new.”
Still from An Open Door.
That meeting became the spark for An Open Door, a feature-length documentary celebrating Grandin’s life and legacy. Partnering with CSU alumnus and Emmy Award–winning filmmaker John Barnhardt, Festervand produced the first film to tell “the rest of Temple’s story.”
“The HBO movie ends when she’s 27,” he said. “I met her at 74. It was a real Paul Harvey moment — getting to tell ‘the rest of the story.’”
From Philanthropy to Film
Before the pandemic hit, Festervand began planning the project. “I’d never produced a film in my life,” he said. “But COVID gave me the time to get to know Temple better and figure out how to make it happen. I just believed in myself, asked a lot of questions, and learned as we went.”
John Festervand with John Barnhardt, Director of An Open Door.
He raised the funds, built a small creative team, and recruited twelve CSU undergraduates to help with filming, lighting, and editing — a true hands-on learning experience. “It was life-changing for some of them,” he said. “They saw how much heart we put into it and gave everything they had in return.”
Over nine months, the team followed Grandin on portions of her nationwide book tour. The result, An Open Door, has now been screened at more than 75 film festivals across nine countries, earning over two dozen awards — and is streaming globally on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
“I don’t think people need more explosions or special effects,” Festervand said. “We need more stories like Temple Grandin’s. Not all heroes wear capes or play on a field — sometimes they look like a 78-year-old autistic woman who changed the world for animals and for people. She reminds us to judge less, explore more, and let our work — and kindness — speak for itself.”
Lessons in Leadership and Faith
Time with Temple Grandin changed more than Festervand’s career — it reshaped his outlook on life and leadership.
“Temple helped me stop seeking validation and start trusting my own ideas,” he said. “She’s spent a lifetime being misunderstood, and it never stopped her. She just kept working. I needed to be more like that.”
Faith, he says, continues to anchor everything he does. “If you leave this earth, what do you want to be known for?” he reflected. “I want to be remembered for my faith, loving my family, and making the world a better place.”
A Full-Circle Moment
The journey came full circle when Festervand brought An Open Door to Middle Tennessee State University, his alma mater. Nearly 24 years after graduating, he returned to campus — this time presenting his own film.
“It was a full-circle moment,” he said. “A lot of my fraternity brothers came out to support me. Many of them knew I was producing this film, and it meant so much to see them still cheering me on — just like I’ve always tried to support them. Those friendships were so impactful and still carry me to this day. All I can say is how grateful I am — to them, and to Phi Alpha.”
For a man who once measured success by sold-out stadiums, John Festervand has found something far more enduring — a legacy built on faith, friendship, and the courage to create something meaningful.
