Who is Shawn Fenn?
About me
I was born in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA, which was a blue-collar, largely Scandinavian community with a large population of commercial fishermen and women. I graduated from Seattle University with a BA in Philosophy in 2000. When my family and I decided to move east in 2014, we fell in love with Newburyport for its proximity to the ocean, its charming downtown, the community, and the schools. I have two incredible daughters who attend Newburyport Public Schools and feel very lucky to raise them in this wonderful community.
Career
My commitment to public service started before I moved to Newburyport. During my young adult years, I worked in community service managing at-risk youth programs. The impact these programs had in improving the lives of its participants exemplified to me the importance of local government in creating public value and improving the lives of its residents. This is why I began my career in the public sector as an analyst and project manager and obtained my Masters in Public Administration from Suffolk University in 2015.
I currently work as a Public Services Manager at the Collins Center at UMass Boston, which provides consulting services to municipalities and is dedicated to improving efficiency, effectiveness, good governance, and accountability at all levels of government. I have worked with more than 100 communities in the Commonwealth on projects ranging from operational reviews and performance management programs, to shared services and regionalization feasibility studies, software implementations, and compliance reviews. My work has allowed me to collaborate with municipal employees, elected officials, and residents to find solutions and provide recommendations to help communities better serve residents through efficiency and process improvements. As Ward 2 Councilor, I will draw on my professional skills and experience to bring a fresh perspective and approach to the challenges faced by our community.
Public service
My daughters attend Newburyport public schools, but they have also benefitted from Recreation & Youth Services (RYS) programs and youth sports. Our experience with these programs has created impactful opportunities for all of us to make friends, have fun, learn, and grow. When my daughters started tots soccer and basketball, I answered the call for volunteer coaches, an experience that allowed me to get to know many wonderful people in our community. When I was asked to serve on the board of directors for Newburyport Girls Basketball Association (NGBA), I accepted and continue to help grow our organization and increase opportunities for Newburyport girls to have fun, compete, and develop the skills that come from being part of a team. I am now entering my second year as President of the NGBA and am proud that our board is majority women and we continue to recruit more coaches, volunteers, role models, and leadership positions that reflect and represent the girls we serve.
