John Thatch
Principal
Dahlin Group

Champion of new thinking and pushing the envelope of design with ideas that create thoughtful, livable, and economically viable communities, John M. Thatch paced himself early to lead design excellence into the future. He is a passionate creative who thrives on the opportunity to design at a variety of scales for a variety of project types. He is known for challenging each project team to develop the most innovative and economically viable solutions, engaging frequently in design brainstorms and introducing a comprehensive perspective and approach to the lifecycle of a community – how a plan reaches tomorrow and lives beyond today.

As Senior Principal and Design Director at DAHLIN, John oversees design innovation and design quality control. Staff education and professional development for the benefit of all is one of his many passions. He provides valuable insight from great experience and knowledge, and pursues initiatives meaningful to the firm’s strategic growth and development.

John often gains inspiration for design through travel and walking (often jogging) the great cities of the world – from Beijing to Paris, Philadelphia to Seattle – seizing and sharing experiences and the smallest details of a place. He is a veteran judge of design competitions and a sought-after speaker for international conferences on such topics as emerging markets, active adult communities, and trends in community design.

A graduate of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, John has a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture. He is a licensed Architect in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Texas and Washington and is also a LEED Accredited Professional. John is married and has three children and three grandchildren.