NHFPI Announces the Appointment of John Shea as Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2016

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (NHFPI) board of directors announces that John F. Shea has been named executive director. John Shea brings more than 20 years’ experience with the New England Governors’ Conference, including three years as executive director and thirteen years as director of policy and programs.

A search committee, chaired by Peggy Walsh, professor of sociology at Keene State College and an NHFPI board member, conducted a national search for an executive director this spring. The search was convened following the announcement of the impending departure of former executive director Jeff McLynch, who stepped down on June 3 after six years leading the organization as its first executive director.

“John Shea has a proven record of bringing together diverse viewpoints to reach consensus and move groundbreaking policies forward to implementation,” said Mil Duncan, chair of the NHFPI board of directors. “Under John’s leadership, NHFPI will expand its work to improve public policy in New Hampshire and ensure we both meet current needs and invest in our children and the state’s future.”

As executive director of the New England Governors’ Conference (NEGC), Shea worked with the six New England governors to craft policies designed to address regional concerns and enhance economic vitality. His work included the implementation of regional and international policy initiatives and convening an annual summit with the New England governors and the Eastern Canadian premiers. During his tenure, Shea transformed the NEGC into a leading policy development and implementation organization, whose work has become a model for regional and international policy-making involving a broad range of stakeholders, including government, business, and nonprofit organizations.

“I am excited to join this outstanding organization and further its work to foster economic opportunity and prosperity for all New Hampshire residents,” said John Shea. “I look forward to utilizing my policy and consensus-building experience to benefit those Granite Staters who don’t otherwise have a voice in the budget and legislative process. With reliable information and a willingness to work together, New Hampshire policymakers can ensure a strong economy and a secure future by investing in important priorities, from educating children and addressing community health to maintaining infrastructure and ensuring public safety.”

Shea brings expertise in a wide array of policy areas, including energy, conservation, environment, economic development, transportation, trade, security, and fiscal policy, with a strong background in economic analysis.

While at the NEGC, Shea was instrumental in developing and implementing several landmark international energy and environmental programs, including climate change, transportation, and mercury action plans.

John Shea most recently served as head of policy and economic advisor for the government of the Falkland Islands. Prior to this role, he was president and CEO for the Sino-American Business Consortium, LLC, a clean technology and renewable energy consultancy based in Providence, Rhode Island.

John Shea has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and a Master of Arts from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He will assume his new role as executive director for NHFPI on August 1.

John Tobin, former executive director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance and a founding member of the NHFPI board of directors, is currently serving as interim executive director.

The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to exploring, developing, and promoting public policies that foster economic opportunity and prosperity for all New Hampshire residents, with an emphasis on low- and moderate-income families and individuals. Learn more at www.nhfpi.org.

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CONTACT:
AnnMarie French
603-856-8337, ext. 2