Content provided by Shawna Ambrose
Elected to Arvada City Council representing District 2 in 2023, Shawna Ambrose works full time for the Rainforest Action Network. She has worked in non-profits for more than 20 years, honing her expertise in policy governance, organizational management, grant writing and stakeholder engagement. She is a leader in her union (CWA 9415) and started her public service in the military.
She has advocated for many causes, including corporate responsibility, environmental protections, voting rights, immigration rights and educational equity in her lengthy non-profit career. Shawna is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, currently affiliated with Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden for her environmental ministry. She is on the Prophetic Council of the Poor People's Campaign, which was started by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to win better conditions for people in poverty.
Shawna has a Bachelor's of Science in Political Science from the University of Nebraska and a Master's of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School, Chicago. She also has American Humanics Certification (now named Nonprofit Leadership Alliance).
After her military service, Shawna moved to Arvada to live near her mother, grandmother and brother. She raised her two children, who are currently attending college nearby, in Arvada. She is married to her husband, Nick (they had their first date in Olde Town Arvada). The family recently adopted a black lab mix named Chip. Her hobbies include hiking, camping, gardening, and history.
In the 8th grade, she won a local frisbee golf tournament.