As a new appointee to the City of Dallas Planning Commission, John Shellene began his tenure representing District 10 in June.

The City Planning Commission (CPC) is charged with making recommendations to the City Council regarding planning and zoning matters.

When former commissioner for Lake Highlands, Tom Lueder, resigned his position due to health reasons, Councilman Jerry Allen selected John Shellene as the new appointment.

In an effort to better understand the role of the District 10 commissioner and introduce our readers to Shellene, we visited with him last week.

Lake Highlands history: I have lived in Lake Highlands for seven years now. We moved from the M Streets in large part due to the excellent school district that serves Lake Highlands, its larger homes and its proximity to downtown.

Family: Wife, Angela, and daughters McKenzie (12) and Sydney (1)

Alma mater: I received my bachelors degree from Texas Tech University and my MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Professional background: Founder, Sherpa Management Partners, a business services firm focusing on project management for non-profit organizations.

For the past 17 years, I have been both a professional and volunteer in the non-profit and private foundation sectors.

My past service includes the SMU Mechanical Engineering Board, chairman of the Richland College Department of Engineering, board member for the University of North Texas College of Engineering, vice-chairman for Head Start of Greater Dallas, and Leadership Dallas alumnus, Class of 2008.

CPC Appointment Background: I became familiar with the City Planning Commission, and its role in city planning, during my participation in the Leadership Dallas program.

Leadership Dallas provided a good education about how volunteer committees, like the CPC, function at City Hall.

Then earlier this year, I was introduced to District 10 Councilman Jerry Allen, and I expressed my desire to become more involved in the Lake Highlands community.

Based on the conclusion of other commitments and board placements, I found I was ready to raise my hand and commit to new volunteer endeavors.

So when Jerry approached me officially, the timing was right to take on a new challenge.

Personal hobbies: I enjoy biking and ride both road bikes and mountain bikes.

I also enjoy reading. Books I have especially enjoyed include The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida and The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

My most unusual, hardest or most rewarding job: From a physical standpoint, roofing houses while I was a college student in Lubbock was pretty hard. That dry heat of West Texas is hard to deal with while standing on a roof top.

My current job working as President of Sherpa Management Partners is both the most challenging and rewarding job I've ever had.

With our business focused on the non-profit sector, we help develop and accelerate the mission of our clients. In terms of being both challenging and rewarding, one particular client comes to mind – a project involving grant management for 1st generation college students.

We helped 1,200 kids prepare to go to college. Many of the parents of these kids would have probably preferred they not go to school, but instead get a job to help pay the electric and grocery bills.

It took a lot of work to convince the parents to allow their kids to pursue a college education. Then getting the kids prepared and into school was very rewarding. It's what we do really – help people live better lives.

My passion: Family and friends are first on the list. As far as work is concerned, I've built my practice to focus on the non-profit community. I have a passion for helping non-profits develop and accelerate their missions.

On a typical Saturday you might find me: Mowing my yard – yes, I still do my own yard. If I'm not working around the house, you'll probably find me at L.A. Fitness on a spin bike.

Something others may be surprised to learn about me: Despite my wife's skepticism, I'm currently learning how to fly.