Shannon Patterson is the founder of Connection Works. Her passion is to help people navigate “the complexity in here” and “the complexity out there” by deepening their connection to themselves, each other, and the work they do.  Whether that complexity is a personal leadership challenge, a team’s tricky dynamics, or shifting an organization’s culture, she helps bring more clarity to the complexity people face by helping them understand what’s happening beneath the surface.

Shannon draws on her experience and education in leadership and organizational development as well as her variety of professional experiences – ropes course instructor, yoga teacher, university faculty, transportation planner and project manager. She has 25 years of business experience across the engineering, architecture, construction, education, and personal development fields.

Shannon has co-facilitated or supported Trudy James’s Aging Wisely retreats at the Whidbey Institute since 2010. As many of the participants return to the retreats year after year, Shannon has witnessed people’s lives change in amazing ways. They talk about the powerful role the retreats play in giving them the time and space to connect to what truly matters to them and “tend the seeds” of their longings and ideas.

Shannon holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington, and an M.S. in Organization Development from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management.

Between now and the next Connection Works retreat, you’ll find Shannon celebrating her birthday, working in the garden, taking long walks around her neighborhood, reading all sorts of things, splashing around in Lake Washington, and being Auntie to her 6-year-old nephew and 8-year-old niece.