Nonprofit Leader, Artist and Mom Makes Election Bid to Advocate for Preserving Community, Healthy Workforce
by Cara McDonald
Shanna Ganne is an artist, nonprofit professional, community advocate and mother of two announcing her candidacy for District 2 County Commissioner.
Her longstanding commitment to community and understanding of the struggles of working families inspired her to seek service as Commissioner. “I want to see someone sitting up there who feels representative to the working community,” Ganne says. “I understand the daily reality of young working families and those who struggle in our community, and I have the passion to support a healthy workforce for our workers and small business owners, and to preserve our sense of community.”
When elected, Ganne would seek to prioritize the extension of transportation to Hot Sulphur Springs and Grand Lake, in order to assist a workforce driven to farther and farther commutes, and to make any decisions with the impact on working people in mind.
“A healthy workforce needs access to quality child care and health care, safe and affordable housing, and reliable transportation; our economy and small businesses depend on it. We can’t support a growing resort without it. Our priority has to be ensuring that locals thrive,” she says.
Ganne also is passionate about Grand County’s historic legacy and historic preservation, and would work to ensure we support community through heritage and culture.
Ganne came to Grand County as a young artist in 2004, and fell in love with the people and landscape here. From her first job working the switchboard at Winter Park Resort to her current position as Executive Director of the Grand County Historical Association, Ganne has witnessed first hand the hope and the hustle of trying to provide for her family in our rapidly changing community.
After separating from a partner struggling with addiction, Ganne was able to regroup as a single mom with the help of affordable community housing, and she put herself through online graduate school at night while working for Northwest Rocky Mountain CASA advocating for children who are victims of abuse and neglect in the courts, as well as working a second job in retail to make ends meet. She completed her Masters of Nonprofit Management a month before the birth of her second son, Will, and began work at the Grand County Historical Association in January 2018.
In addition to her past volunteer and advocacy positions like serving on the East Grand School District District Accountability Committee and as treasurer for the Fraser Valley Elementary PA,, Ganne sits on the Grand County Scenic Byways Committee, the Community Leader Group for the Rural Health Network, the 14th Judicial Performance Review Commission, governor appointment, and she has joined bipartisan efforts with Bob Rankin to advocate
for parental rights, volunteered with the Skier Education Fund to help local children participate in Winter Park Competition Center programs, and Applied to be Family Advocate in DC for the Child Care Aware of America symposium.
Ganne lives in Granby with her fiance Tom Swift and sons Simon, 12, and Will, 2.
