Colleen Shaughnessy

Colleen Shaughnessy is a nonprofit leader, grant writer, and adult educator with over 25 years of experience advancing equity, education, and individual and community resilience. As a member of Groundworks New Mexico's first nonprofit leadership pilot cohort, she is excited to develop the cohort model for grant readiness and capacity building across New Mexico as the Community Advancement Director. Most recently, Colleen served as the Executive Director of Youth Heartline, a child welfare and family stability nonprofit in Taos, Colfax, and Union Counties in northeast New Mexico, where she stabilized the organization and diversified its funding sources.  

After studying abroad in Zimbabwe as an undergrad and serving as a high school science teacher in Peace Corps-Ghana, Colleen’s professional journey took her across the globe designing and facilitating culturally responsive training programs for educators, nonprofit professionals, refugees, and immigrants. As a U.S. State Department English Language Specialist and Fellow, she trained English teachers and developed strategic English education initiatives at the African Union and refugee camps in Ethiopia and two universities in South Africa, for the US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for the Jalisco Department of Education in Mexico. In the U.S, she has taught and held curriculum development roles at Baltimore City Community College, Beloit College, and Carlos Rosario Adult Charter School. Colleen also brings experience securing and managing federal, state, and foundation grants, having stewarded awards from the Office of Victims of Crime, the National Science Foundation, New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts and CYFD, and numerous New Mexico-supporting family foundations. 

Colleen holds a Bachelor's in Biology from Monmouth College, a Master’s in TESOL and Instructional Systems Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and has completed all required doctoral coursework in Adult Education (ABD) at Pennsylvania State University.  In her free time, Colleen enjoys exploring the natural beauty of the Taos area, engaging in Zen Buddhist practice and study at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, and tending her garden full of native plants and roses.