James W. Sheppard III is an associate in Barnes & Thornburg’s Columbus office and is a member of the Government Services and Finance Department.

Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Mr. Sheppard was the chief of staff for the Ohio Department of Education where he directed the activities of the department’s policy, legal, legislative, and communications offices, among others. He served as a liaison to the State Board of Education, the governor’s office, General Assembly and professional associations representing the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In this role, he also served on the State Teacher’s Retirement System Board, one of the largest public pension funds in the country, as the state superintendent’s designee.