top of page
Audience in Lecture

FELLOW

PAULA SHANNON

DIRECTORY |  FELLOW PROFILE

PAULA SHANNON

TITLE 

Founder & Executive Coach

ORGANIZATION

Whole Leader Lab

BIOGRAPHY

Paula R. Shannon is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and former senior education leader with nearly three decades of experience leading large-scale organizations, high-performing teams, and transformational change. As the founder of Whole Leader Lab, Paula partners with mission-driven leaders who refuse to choose between high expectations and deep care—leaders who want to achieve results without sacrificing themselves in the process.

Paula spent much of her career leading at the highest levels of urban public education and focused upon organizational strategy, and leadership development. She served as Deputy Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, a PK-12 system with 34,000 students, 90 campuses, and 6,000 employees. As a key member of the executive cabinet managing a $500M+ annual budget, she oversaw district-wide strategy, school leadership, talent development, and major cross-sector initiatives. She previously held cabinet-level leadership roles in Providence Public Schools and Syracuse City Schools, spearheading academic innovation, organizational transformation, and leadership pipeline development.

She knows firsthand what it means to lead under pressure:
-Managing large, complex teams while fostering a culture of trust and collaboration
-Navigating organizational change, conflict, and high-stakes decision-making
-Balancing leadership impact with personal sustainability
-Bridging divides across stakeholders to create aligned, mission-driven action

At Whole Leader Lab, she works with executives, senior leaders, and rising change-makers across education, philanthropy, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations.

bottom of page