Shannon has over 25 years of experience in sustainable community planning, environmental justice, interdisciplinary communication, and collaborative engagement. She has facilitated the collaborative development of transformative projects and created interdisciplinary curricula with diverse partners, stakeholders, and rights holders. Her work has catalyzed significant advancements in rural sustainability, underpinned by a solid foundation in cross-disciplinary communication and with particular attention to elevating the diverse voices of underserved communities. Shannon has a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire, an M.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science (with a social science concentration) from the University of Idaho, where she served as a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education Research and Traineeship (IGERT) Doctoral Fellow. Shannon is also certified as a community planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).