Shannon (she/her) grew up in Woodland Park, Colorado and attended Western Colorado University, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Outdoor Recreation with a minor in Biology. She worked at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area as a wildlife biologist intern before being hired as a park ranger for Colorado Parks and Wildlife where she worked for 10 years. She led the aquatic nuisance species program at Lathrop State Park, managed the boater safety program at Chatfield State Park and in 2011, became the senior ranger of James M. Robb Colorado River State Park where she was the operations manager of two of the park sections in Fruita and Grand Junction. Shannon oversaw various restoration projects along the Colorado River and during this time served as a firearms instructor for the agency as well as a field training officer.
In 2017, Shannon changed directions and served as the northwest regional representative for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. She covered six counties and filled various congressional aide roles including constituent advocacy, outreach on legislation and specific policy objectives, and planning and staffing the senator on official visits to the region.
As the Associate Director of RiversEdge West, Shannon directly oversees staff and program operations as well as assists with partnership and stakeholder cultivation, strategic planning and program development. Shannon and her husband have identical twin girls and enjoy spending time together exploring the outdoors through mountain biking, skiing, hiking, camping and taking the time to stop and smell the flowers along the way.
