Shannon Hammel is excited for the opportunity to give back to The Kneeland Project. She attended Kneeland training early in her career and credits the organization for changing the way she approached news leadership, “I’m thrilled to give back to an organization that truly changed my life. I share lessons from Kneeland in both my personal and professional life to this day.”

Shannon has a long history leading newsrooms and has recently pivoted to sales and research. Shannon started her career at WILX in Lansing, Michigan, then WCMH in Columbus, Ohio where she produced newscasts and held multiple leadership positions. Staying within the NBC Owned and Operated stations, she moved to KXAS in Dallas-Fort Worth where she held numerous key roles such as executive producer, managing editor, and executive editor of content. She directed day-to-day operations and oversaw large projects including a Six Sigma project to roll out smart phones across the company, a move to a brand-new facility, and launching an investigative team that won multiple National Edward R. Murrow awards and a National Emmy. In 2019, Shannon developed an expertise in research, and continues to oversee research for KDVR & KWGN in Denver.

A graduate of DePauw University with a BA in both Political Science and Economics and a minor in Communications, Shannon now lives back in her home state of Colorado with her husband and two sons.