John’s admiration for the iron rails began 25 years ago began as a casual exploration of an abandoned rail corridor. It ignited a fervent desire to rejuvenate neighborhood and community connections with the bygone era of rail. He’s been a passionate designer of trails and pathways ever since.
With a background spanning four decades in civil and transportation engineering, John is at the helm of our Trails team. His leadership over the past two decades has been instrumental in crafting over five hundred miles of trails across New England, with a special focus on rail trail initiatives in Massachusetts. A respected speaker on trail development and recipient of multiple accolades, John's contributions extend beyond his professional work at Stantec to his passionate volunteerism within the community—he developed the first wheelchair accessible trail in northeastern Massachusetts named Lizzy’s Tail, after his next-door neighbor.
When John isn’t designing rail trails, you guessed it, he’s riding them! The Cape Cod Rail Trail, designed by John, is his and his wife’s favorite. Here in their happy place, they enjoy hiking, clamming, fishing, and beach combing with their family.