About
John C. Shepard, AICP
Planning and economic development professional with more than 30 years of experience across the Midwest, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain states. His work connects data, public participation, and practical implementation to help rural communities make better decisions.
Where the data meets the dirt road.
His approach
Plans should do more than sit on a shelf.
John C. Shepard, AICP, has spent more than three decades helping communities turn planning into action. His work spans land use, community and economic development, downtown revitalization, infrastructure, renewable energy, natural resources and conservation, hazard mitigation, entrepreneurship, and public policy.
Across eight states in the Midwest, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain West, he has worked with local leaders on the decisions that shape how communities grow, adapt, invest, and remain resilient.
His approach combines rigorous analysis with public participation and practical implementation. Data matter, but so do local knowledge, political reality, community priorities, and the ability to turn a strategy into something people can actually use.
John holds AICP certification through the American Institute of Certified Planners and degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Colorado. He is a member of the American Planning Association and the International Economic Development Council, and currently serves as Vice-Chair of Communications for the APA’s Small Town & Rural Planning Division.
By the numbers
Experience built in real communities.
Speaking and media
Rural planning beyond the conference room.
Western Planner Conference
Heritage Tourism in Planning: Preservation, Place, and Rural Economic Vitality. August 2026.
Dynamic Decisions Podcast
“Stop Chasing Smokestacks. Grow What You Have.” A conversation about comprehensive planning, economic gardening, implementation, and rural decision-making.
The Rural Impact
“Pathways to Powering Rural America.” A discussion of data centers, energy infrastructure, land use, local governance, and rural economic development.
APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division
Vice-Chair of Communications, contributing to the national conversation on small-town and rural planning practice.
Coming soon
Beyond planning
Place is more than policy.
John is also an amateur historian, avid outdoorsman, and occasional music critic. Through JC Shepard.com, he writes about planning, economic development, arts and culture, community resilience, and the broader spirit of Americana — with a particular interest in the places, traditions, and local character that make communities worth caring about.
Work with John
Bring practical rural experience to the conversation.
John is available for selected speaking engagements, podcasts, planning and economic development conversations, and opportunities focused on stronger, more resilient rural communities.
Get in touch → Read his thinking →