A proud Pitt alumna and first-generation college graduate, Shannon brings more than two decades of higher education development experience as a member of the PAE senior leadership team.
Since joining Pitt in May 2020 in this new role, Shannon has led the creation and expansion of a comprehensive principal giving program. She and her team partner with schools, centers, and clinical areas, offering a personalized and intensive approach to donor engagement. Her work is deeply collaborative, aligning with senior leadership to foster authentic, donor-centric relationships that drive transformative philanthropy.
Prior to her return to Pitt, Shannon was the Director of Individual Giving at Bryn Mawr College, where she oversaw the annual fund, major gifts, and family giving, focusing on women in philanthropy. She has held progressively advanced frontline roles with the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University, where she contributed to their historic multi-billion-dollar campaigns. Her expertise spans major gifts, board engagement, strategic communications, programming and campaign management.
Shannon holds a master’s degree in public management from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communication from Pitt, where she found her passion for a fundraising career as an intern at local non-profit Family House and AmeriCorps Jumpstart Team Leader.
Raised outside of Philadelphia, Shannon now resides in Point Breeze with her husband, a local business owner, and their two sons. She is a Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition County Captain and Living Beyond Breast Cancer Young Advocate.
