Richard G. Shieldhouse, Ph.D.

Dr. Shieldhouse is a transportation and tourism planning specialist with more than 30 years of experience bolstering the effectiveness of transportation offerings for air and rail transport systems (passenger and cargo), including 15 as a consultant. Dr. Shieldhouse has a solid understanding of applied economics for railroads, with a proven ability to understand complex operating issues and translate them into meaningful analyses.

He recently was a key member of a team that examined alternatives to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s Stand-Alone-Cost method for assessing the reasonableness of rates. Over the years he has evaluated numerous high-value railway investments, such as freight cars and structures, as well as economics of alternative operating procedures.

Dr. Shieldhouse is also an expert on the economics of tourism and has spoken on the subject to numerous academic gatherings in France, Mexico, Spain, Canada and the United States.

He has a Ph.D. in Design, Construction and planning from the University of Florida and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. As vice president of the Jacksonville Sister Cities Association, Dr. Shieldhouse frequently travels to France to promote cultural and commercial exchanges. He has fluency in Spanish and French, as well as English.