Since joining the staff in 1998, Shawna has held various roles and led the development of numerous strategic initiatives including successfully managing the transition of the organization’s founding director in 2008. In her role as CEO, she has led the development of Hope Builders' social enterprise ventures.... She has worked in numerous capacities in the nonprofit sector in the areas of workforce development, re-entry, intervention programming, emergency assistance, housing instability and volunteer service. She received her degree in English from Santa Clara University. She spent a year as a Jesuit Volunteer living and working among the poor of Central Orange County providing emergency assistance services to families on the edge of homelessness. In 2006, she was named a Marano Fellow by the Aspen Institute.

In 2012, she was named one of 40 Under 40 in Orange County by the OC Metro. More recently the LA Times OC acknowledged Shawna as a 2022 OC Visionary for her work with Hope Builders.