Candidate for
Member, Board of Education; County of San Francisco

Shamann Walton is a native San Franciscan who has been a leader within local public schools and youth-serving organizations for the past seventeen years. Shamann inherited his love for his community from his mother Catherine Cartwright, and his mentor and surrogate father, Philmore Graham. Impacting the lives of others, particularly children, is the biggest motivator in Shamann's life.

Shamann currently serves as the Executive Director of Young Community Developers, Inc. (YCD), a workforce development agency located in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point Community. At YCD, Shamann manages, develops and implements job readiness training, job placement and case management services for participants. For the past three years--under Shamann's leadership--YCD has worked directly with SFUSD, providing quality tutorial, credit recovery and job training programs in several SFUSD high schools (including Balboa, Galileo, Thurgood Marshall, Phillip & Sala Burton and Wallenberg). Since Shamann took over as YCD's Executive Director, he has increased the organization's budget by over 300 percent and grown the staff to 90 employees during peak times throughout the year.

Prior to joining Young Community Developers, Shamann developed an extensive record of collaboration and leadership within Bay Area schools and nonprofits. Shamann taught students in the juvenile justice system through the Solano County Office of Education, worked with youth at the Boys & Girls Club, and served as the Director of the Economic Opportunity Council of San Francisco's Potrero Hill Family Resource Center. Shamann also worked as a program officer for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF), where he worked with funded agencies to ensure they were using city resources strategically and effectively.

In addition to his professional work, Shamann has been an effective leader in community and civic organizations across San Francisco. He serves on the Board of Directors for Parents for Public Schools and is very active with the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Pi Chi Chapter in San Francisco. Shamann is also a member of the San Francisco Latino Democratic Club, the San Francisco African American Democratic Club, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Society of Public Administrators, a 2013 LeaderSpring Fellow, and the Bayview Rotary Club.

Shamann graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia where he was elected Student Government Association Vice President. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from San Francisco State University.

Shamann's most important role has been as a proud father to his daughter Monique, age (22), and his son Malcolm (21).