Gray Background. Professional headshot of female smiling, with short blonde hair and a black shirt
Shannon Zawiski has had the privilege of working for Independent Living/ Independent Home Care (ILI/ IHC) since 2006. Shannon’s passion for the work ILI/ IHC does began when she heard the statistic that only 15% of people with disabilities are born with their disabilities, and the remaining 85% acquired their disability. Her passion was deepened as the mom of a child with a disability.
Shannon believes strongly that every individual with a disability should feel as empowered, supported, and educated as she and her family are thanks to ILI. In her first role with ILI, Shannon worked with local high school students with disabilities and assisted them in making plans and connections to services for their post-high school lives. Shannon was provided with the opportunity to grow with the organization in 2008 when she was promoted to ILI’s Employment and Family Services Manager overseeing the agency’s services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Shannon became ILI’s Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance in 2015. In 2017, Shannon was promoted to her current role of Chief Operating Officer, where she provides leadership of the agency’s 35+ programs and services over 7 locations in a 7 county region.
Shannon was selected as one of Orange County’s 2009 Rising Stars. She participated in the Leadership Orange Class of 2015 and the Cornwall Leadership Institute Class of 2017. She has volunteered with Big Brother/ Big Sisters for over 11 years. Shannon has bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Human Services and a Master’s Degree in Psychology. She resides in Orange County with her husband and their three sons.