Shannon Schissler

Shannon Schissler is a senior associate at Sheikh/Impact, where she advises clients on strategy development, institutional fundraising and donor engagement. She has nearly 20 years of experience in human rights, gender equity, violence prevention and community-led development.

She began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and later served as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia. Her work has focused on democracy, human rights, Indigenous inclusion, gender-based violence prevention and conflict resolution. In the United States, she has engaged with organizations advancing youth violence intervention, while leading community-based, trauma-informed programs in Central America.

Schissler holds master’s degrees from George Mason University and the University of Miami, and a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University. Originally from Maine, she now lives in San Pedro with her husband, two daughters and their rescue dogs. She volunteers with the International Rescue Committee in Los Angeles, supporting citizenship classes for refugees and immigrants.