At the age of 12, Shane was traumatized by the experience of stumbling upon his beloved parents smoking crack cocaine. He was affected in ways that would not become apparent until his late teens. As a gifted, but troubled high school senior who had just lost his job due to an unexpected closure, Shane was vulnerable to the “street life”. Before he could graduate or figure out what was going on with him, Shane was on his way to prison with a sentence of life plus fifteen years. While in prison it became evident to the people around Shane (inmates and employees of the state), that he was compassionate, honest, resilient, and willing to put his life on the line to mediate disputes that could have ended up being deadly. Three powerful prison officials, in particular, acknowledged his efforts and are responsible for Shane walking out a free man 20 years after he was incarcerated. Shane now hold positions within his community ranging from Chaplain of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to Executive Director of People Living in Recovery (PLR). Needless to say, Shane continues to mediate, maintain peace, and help people” get out of their own way” through life coaching, mentoring, and motivational speaking. It is hard to list all of his credentials or professional titles because helping others is not just a job, but a lifestyle for him. The things he strives to do every day in his different professions are connected to his life story, often the stories of the people he serves resonates deeply with him. However, Shane is very proud of the positions he has had the privileged to hold and the platforms he is able to use to do what he loves to do. Sometimes he thinks about how he went from serving a life sentence to having the ability to help people stay out of prison or help people in prison maintain their dignity. Shane thinks of how he went from getting caught in the “street life” due to his finances to three years after his release owning two beautiful homes in his local community. Shane thinks of how he went from traumatizing familial experiences to having a dedicated and loving wife with whom he has had the pleasure to raise two beautiful children with. Shane will continue to pay it all forward by teaching the skills that he has developed through his lived experiences and inspiring hope in others!
