Shawna Kemppainen, Executive Director, Inside Out Youth Services

Shawna Rae Kemppainen took the helm as Executive Director of Inside/Out Youth Services on June 1, 2010. Shawna has held leadership roles at high-impact organizations for more than eight years, working to improve the health and safety of families. Her most recent position was development director for TESSA, the community’s domestic violence and sexual assault services center.

Before joining TESSA, Shawna worked served as the chief development officer at Care & Share Food Bank, where she led fundraising and public relations efforts on an $8.3 million capital project. She also worked with a national team of advocates to strengthen funding across the United States for anti-hunger and self-sufficiency programs.

Shawna served on the legislative committees for the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families, as well as the Board of Directors for Citizens Project.

“I am excited to stand for and learn from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Questioning and Allied youth,” says Shawna. “They do not wait for what the world will allow. They freely step into and create their rights and equality. Their very way of being is transforming things every day in our community.”

A native of Upper Michigan, Shawna holds her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Cronkite School at Arizona State University.