Shana has served in the community engagement sector for 30 years, beginning her career in child advocacy and now serving as Director of EngageAR-Arkansas Service Commission where she works to foster a culture of national service and volunteerism, cross sector collaboration, and strategic partnerships throughout Arkansas. Her passion for civic engagement was fostered during her formative years growing up a missionary kid in Japan and Morocco. She is a visionary and results-oriented leader with a track record for building consensus, engaging diverse stakeholders, leading strategic change and transformation, aligning staff strengths with organizational needs and building a team culture which balances professionalism, mutual respect, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness with work pride and enjoyment.
Before taking a 12 year “sabbatical” to raise her twin daughters, Shana founded the Arkansas State CASA office, expanding CASA child advocate programs from 3 to 15 in the office’s first year. She also served as the Director of Program Services and Public Affairs for March of Dimes, overseeing implementation of the national prematurity prevention campaign and handling all governmental affairs, securing the Arkansas office the Program of the Year award. During this same time Shana was elected to the Pulaski County Special School District School Board.
In her current role, Shana oversees 2.7 million in federal grants and 1.3 million in state and local generated match dollars. Using these funds and developing collaborative partnerships, Shana and the EngageAR team hope to see statewide issues within the CNCS focus areas of education, health, and economic opportunity significantly impacted through funding and evaluation of evidence-based programing.
Shana studied Sociology and Political Science at Ouachita Baptist University and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Criminal Justice and Political Science. She is also a Certified Volunteer Manger.
