Shanan has traveled the world since graduating from Ellis, but has always stayed connected to the School. She has served on the Board of Trustees of The Ellis School since 2017 and remains an active and proud Ellis alumna. Her unwavering commitment to the betterment of all-girls education and her remarkable contributions to Ellis make her a truly deserving recipient of this year’s Sara Frazer Ellis Award.

Shanan currently works with the Office of the Chief of Protocol for Major Events on the media arrangements for the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Meetings hosted by the United States. She also works with the White House, leading media arrangements for the President of the United States’ trips to Cambodia (ASEAN), Poland, Northern Ireland, and Lithuania (NATO).

Prior to this work, she was Senior Vice President of Business Communications & Internal Campaigns for BP in London, where she was responsible for global internal communications (DE&I, HR, legal and finance) and all communications for BP’s business units (renewable energy, retail, exploration and production, and trading and shipping). She led a global team of more than 100 communications professionals during a tumultuous time—the COVID-19 pandemic and the largest full-company reorganization in BP’s 114-year history.

Shanan came to BP from the Department of Defense (DOD), where she worked in the Office of the Secretary establishing the first-ever Director of Travel Operations role and reorganizing the trips process for the Department. During her time at the DOD, she was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Earlier in her career, Shanan had a variety of positions in and out of government working as Communications Director for the Congressional Oversight Panel on T.A.R.P, Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Nancy Boyda of Kansas, the John Kerry for President Campaign, and in account management for PR firm Jasculca/Terman and Associates. Shanan got her start working in press advance for the Clinton administration.  

A graduate of George Washington University, Shanan went on to earn her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.