Shawntel Reece is a native of Santa Rosa and attended Piner High School. She attended Sacramento State University and received her BA in Child Development. She has worked for the County of Sonoma for 16 years. Ten years in juvenile probation and six years in the human services department. She enjoys her current job as an employment training counselor and feels it is a blessing to work with the marginalized and the disenfranchised population of her community. There are definitely challenges because you become aware of the economic disparities that are in our local area but being able to offer support, resources, and an opportunity for individuals to make lemonade out of their lemons is rewarding.

Shawntel is an active member at Greater Powerhouse Church of God in Christ and has 2 daughters who attend the Windsor school district. She feels it is very important to stay involved and active in their lives as well. She loves to maintain good health by lifting weights, running, and playing soccer on a daily basis. She feels it is her duty to give back to her community by participating in NAACP, Rites of passage bridge to the future, multi-cultural roots project, Blacks United, and racial equity groups within the County. She has experienced racism in Sonoma County since she was a child and has noticed that her children are continuing to endure the same experiences and micro-aggressions. She has made it her mission to no longer accept the status quo of complacency and to start speaking truth to power when it comes to systemic racism. Our voices need to be heard!