Shannon is the 5th generation in her family to call this region home. Born and raised locally, Shannon wanted the skills and opportunity to make a difference. She found them as a doctor combating deadly diseases. Now she’s ready to make a difference for the home that launched her success.

Shannon grew up on her great grandfather’s farm land in Auburn. Her father is a Navy Veteran who served as an aircraft mechanic. Later, he spent his professional career as a Boeing employee. Her mother taught dance, fitness and arts at community and senior centers, where she still volunteers. Growing up, Shannon and her siblings learned to work hard, take care of the people around them and try to make the world a better place.

Shannon graduated from Auburn High School and went on to Stanford University, becoming the first of her family to graduate from a four-year university. She earned her medical degree from Columbia University. Shannon completed a residency in medicine and pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center and an infectious diseases fellowship at Emory University.

Shannon is proud of the education she received. She wants to make sure today’s generation of young Washingtonians benefit from the same opportunities: strong public schools, affordable college, and good jobs that support a family.

Armed with that world-class education, Shannon joined the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, later serving in Atlanta, Zimbabwe, and Washington, DC – but she always knew Auburn was home.

Most recently, Shannon was the Director of the Division of Global HIV & TB at the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. She led a team of nearly 2,000 people across 45 countries, responsible for an annual budget of about $2.4 billion. As part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Shannon and her team drove quality up and costs down, while directly supporting more than 7.3 million people on life-saving HIV treatment and contributing to the more than 2.2 million babies who have been born HIV-free.

Shannon has traveled the country and the world in the pursuit of improving health and quality of life. She has a proven track record of success – even in the most dire of situations. Now, Shannon is running for Congress to ensure that her home community benefits from a government that works for them. The communities in Washington’s 8th district deserve a government that delivers on its promises. Shannon is ready to take her years of experience, proven track record and love of this community and its people with her to Congress.