Shawnna Gauss

Shawnna has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years. She was drawn to the arts at a young age due to the creativity and inclusivity she found in that environment. She graduated with a degree in Theatre & Film from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She spent seven years at the Denver Film Society, supporting the Denver Film Festival, Film on the Rocks and program collaborations with organizations including the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Tattered Cover Bookstore.

For ten years, Shawnna was the Director of Philanthropy at Theatre SilCo, formerly the Lake Dillon Theatre Company. She started in their 100-year-old building in Dillon and moved to the Silverthorne Performing Arts Center after a successful capital campaign. Due to her fundraising efforts, the SilCo sustained a free theatre-based after school program, Vivo, which served over 100 students per school day at three Summit County elementary schools.

Shawnna has a passion for the performing arts and is committed to empowering young artists through experiential education. In her free time, Shawnna enjoys exploring Colorado’s mountains with her camping kitty Bagel and traveling to New Orleans annually for the French Quarter Fest. She is excited to put her skills into action to further the mission of the NRO.