Development Professional Available

Friends, I am looking for a new job.  As a seasoned Development Professional, I am considering opportunities in Community and Economic Development, primarily across the Mountain West and Upper Midwest states.  I have particular experience in long-range community and regional planning, infrastructure, and strategic planning.  I have particular interest in how communities thrive in the New Economy.  If you find a topic on this blog, I’m probably interested in helping you out!

Any tips or ideas would certainly be appreciated.

Updated: Resume-John Shepard AICP (2pp PDF)

John Shepard on LinkedIn

John C Shepard, AICP on Twitter (Professional Account)

Professional Experience

LARAMIE CO. PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT, Cheyenne, WY October 2012–June 2014

Senior Planner

Team leader for long-range planning, including infrastructure and transportation planning, in 11-member planning and building department. Proficient with ESRI ArcView GIS and Microsoft Office Suite. Also conducted current planning activities including zoning, site plan, and subdivision review.

External Leadership

Led projects involving local public and private stakeholders:

• Engaged rural community leaders in assessment of 12-year old county comprehensive plan.
• Facilitated unincorporated community’s neighborhood association’s South Greeley Highway Corridor Plan, as a strategic alternative to a rejected re-development plan.
• Worked with City and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) on contentious update of award-winning PlanCheyenne, a cooperative regional land use and transportation plan.
• Presented on Planning for Broadband at APA National Planning Conference 2013 in Chicago.

Internal Leadership

• Lead planner on specialized applications including wireless siting and wind energy systems.
• Lead planner for Planning Commission; presented projects to Board of County Commissioners.

Technical Assistance and Problem Solving

• Secured support for University of Wyoming student project to review best practices in county comprehensive planning.
• Completed FEMA 5-year review of Community Rating System (CRS) participation.
• Member of MPO transportation planning technical committee.

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (SRDC), Slayton, MN January 2005–October 2012

Development Planner

Conducted comprehensive, long-range planning for region, including county and city land use plans, local water management plans, regional transportation planning, and FEMA all-hazard mitigation plans. Provided technical assistance to local units of government on grant writing, zoning, active living, GreenStep Cities, solid waste and recycling, water, sewer, and telecommunications infrastructure. Regional Census data center.

Leadership

• Completed comprehensive plans for rural counties and small cities.
• Facilitated and authored state-mandated Local Water Management Plans for several counties and watershed districts. Initiative recognized for innovation by National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC).
• Facilitated and authored all hazard mitigation plans for all counties in region.
• Conducted training for Planning Commissioners, County Commissioners, and Boards of Adjustment.

Grant Writing and Technical Assistance

• Worked with communities, non-profit organizations, higher education, Extension and local business to improve use of broadband infrastructure through the Blandin Foundation’s
  Minnesota Intelligent Rural Community (MIRC) project.
• Secured $140,000 state and federal funding for 7 multi-jurisdictional all-hazard mitigation plans.
• Encouraged walking and biking to schools through State DOT’s Safe Routes to School program and the Minnesota State Health Improvement Project (SHIP).

Problem Solving

• Completed cooperative analysis of socio-economic data related to outmigration in rural Minnesota; made case to US Economic Development Administration (EDA) that outmigration meets federal criteria to access infrastructure and business development funding.

LARIMER CO. PLANNING DEPARTMENT, Fort Collins, CO December 2001 – December 2004
(Larimer County Community Development Division)

Planner II

Hired in department’s expansion of long-range planning team. Completed land use plans, including analysis, GIS mapping, public participation, and publications. Performed zoning and development review, and demographic analysis. Served as liaison with County parks, open space, and trails planning group and with Extension ag-based business task force.

Leadership

• Served on multi-disciplinary team and as primary author of area plan for county’s oldest village facing significant growth pressure. Presented options, helped achieve consensus in community.

Problem Solving

• Enabled community task force to visualize scenarios for alternative land use recommendations by completing detailed, parcel-by-parcel land use inventories with GIS.

GALLATIN CO. PLANNING DEPARTMENT, Bozeman, MT August 1998 – November 2001

Planner II

Hired in expansion of small department’s long-range planning team to support scenario-based growth policy, neighborhood and regional transportation plans. Performed compliance reporting for $111,000 federal National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) GIS demonstration grant.

TRAILL CO. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, Mayville, ND April 1994 – August 1998

Executive Director

Worked with small communities on all aspects of rural development, including value-added agriculture. Managed marketing and legislative affairs. Conducted grant-writing and administration, oversaw budget and loan/grant program. Staffed volunteer Board of Directors and managed part-time staff.

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