Shepherd owned 21st Century Newspapers' and his first acquisitions were The Oakland Press and The Macomb Daily and The Royal Oak Tribune on August 21, 1997.
21st Century under Frank Shepherd, president, chairman, and CEO, began a buying spree that eventually ended with approx.
Pleasant, Michigan, and newspapers in Traverse City, Charlevoix, Gaylord, East Jordan, Elk Rapids, Central Lake, Bellaire and Tawas City and other communities in central and northern Michigan.
million of annual profit by selling to national companies with most revenue coming from pre-printed inserts.
Shepherd previously worked for Scripps Howard Newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio as VP of Operations from 1983 until 1991.
He was recruited by Stauffer Communications in 1991 as President and CEO and a member of The Board of Directors.
Previously, Shepherd also worked for Panax Corporation of East Lansing, Michigan, and was a member of their Board of Directors.
After the consulting agreement, Shepherd joined Scripps Howard in Cincinnati as VP of Newspaper Operations, where he stayed from 1982 until 1992.
Shepherd sold 21st Century in August 2005 for $415,000,000 cash, then retired to Charlevoix, Michigan.
Jim held the High School "Breslin Center"(Michigan State University) record for the most 3-point baskets in one game(9) and was an MVP player at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Shepherd was previously married and divorced in 1978.