Shawnna L.M. Bolick was born and raised by her mother and father in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. She attended Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in public affairs (1997) and completed her graduate studies in public policy at American University (1999) in Washington, DC.
Having worked in Washington, DC during the “Gingrich Revolution,” Shawnna returned to the DC area upon graduation from the Maxwell School to further establish her conservative principles. Shawnna worked for U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and The Heritage Foundation—where her Republican values became cemented for life, while attending graduate school in our nation’s capital.
Shawnna is no stranger to state government. She worked in the New York State Assembly one semester (1996) as an undergraduate and after completing her graduate coursework she moved to Austin, TX (1999) where she worked for now Texas Governor Rick Perry on his high tech commission.
Since moving to the Valley and starting a family over nine years ago, Shawnna has immersed herself in community affairs; including:
- Moms Offering Moms Support – MOMs Club International
- Benchmark Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
- Syracuse University Alumni Club of Arizona (SUACA)
- Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) at La Casa de Cristo
- Moms and More and Moms Next at La Casa de Cristo
- Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Series program
- Paradise Republican Women’s Club (PRWC)
- Alpha Phi Omega -- national service fraternity
- Children’s Advocacy Center
- Arizona School Choice Trust
In May 2004, Shawnna published her first book titled Playtime in Phoenix: The Ultimate Guide to Learning & Having Fun with Kids! Shawnna has also balanced raising two children while consulting for the Legislative Education Action Drive (LEAD), the Alliance for School Choice, The Goldwater Institute, and the Arizona Charter School Association.
Shawnna and Clint, her husband, have two children, Ryne (8) and Kali (5), plus rescued greyhound, Beary Goldwater.