“Carpe Diem” (Seize the Day)
Shannon Stover Zink is serving as the Planning & Development Director for the Junior League of New Orleans Board of Directors. In this position, she utilizes her forward-thinking capability to advise the Board on long-range planning and integrate the Strategic Plan into everyday operations and planning. She cultivates funding sources outside of JLNO’s single event fundraisers and Bloomin’ Deals Thrift Shop and leads the volunteer team that reviews and formulates JLNO’s strategic plan, partnerships, community projects and fundraisers.
After joining JLNO in 2006, Shannon has served on the Community and Membership councils, but she’s spent half her tenure in Planning & Development Council positions. She most recently chaired the Strategic Planning Committee, which sets overarching goals to ensure seamless transitions from one Board of Directors to another while JLNO leaders work toward long-term financial sustainability and continued success. The Strategic Plan takes into account both the evolving needs of our community-at-large and those of our individual JLNO volunteers. Shannon is able to analyze data, take initiative, learn quickly, develop ideas and build consensus toward specified objectives. She loves that JLNO is a group of women coming together to make our community a better place. She appreciates being able to get involved, make a difference, and elicit change with people from diverse backgrounds. The JLNO experience that sticks out most in her mind is the KABOOM! project from the 2009-2010 League year. In partnership with Lakeview Presbyterian Church, JLNO helped design and build a public playground in the Lakeview neighborhood, filling a void for families post Hurricane Katrina.
Shannon received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Master of Arts from the University of New Orleans. She currently works as a realtor for Keller Williams Realty New Orleans representing both buyers and sellers of residential real estate property in Metropolitan New Orleans. Previously, Shannon was the Executive Director for the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, where she was responsible for all aspects of year-round Festival administration. Her love of the arts is rooted in music, which was her original college major. Music is still important to her, and she appreciates those who teach beginning strings and band to children.
Currently residing in Old Metairie with her husband Chris, and their three children Jack (13), Mason (9) and Emerson (5), Shannon enjoys reading, traveling, watching UNC basketball, music, theater and interior design. She is inspired by Sandra Day O’Connor, retired associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States who served from 1981 to 2006 and member of the Junior League of Phoenix. Justice O’Connor is a trailblazer to be the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, serve for decades and leave on her own when she felt the time was right in order to put family first.
