John Shea earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Ohio State University, where he focused on workforce and education planning, human resource policy, and labor economics.
In the 1970s, he worked in higher education research. He was a Senior Fellow with the Carnegie Commission and Council on Policy Studies on Higher Education in Berkeley, California (1973–79), and a Research Economist at UC Berkeley’s Center for Research and Development on Higher Education (1974–75). His work included studies on higher education in both South America and the United States.
When his son Joe reached adulthood, John helped start Bayberry, a nonprofit in Napa, California, that continues to provide housing and support for adults with developmental disabilities. He served as Bayberry’s Executive Director from 1979 to 1989.
In 1986, John and his business partner, Bill Allen, founded Allen, Shea & Associates (ASA). For more than 30 years, John worked through ASA to provide planning, research, training, and evaluation services in the field of human services, especially for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. No matter how busy he was, he always made time to help families—offering free guidance to parents trying to understand and plan services for their children.
John retired in 2020. John passed last night October 23, 2025.He was not just a business partner, he was a friend and I will miss him always.