Shanelle Matthews
Shanelle Matthews is an award-winning communications strategist with eight years of experience in journalism, legislative, litigation, rapid response, and campaign communications. She formerly worked as a strategist for the ACLU and Forward Together where she engineered the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive strategic communications plans aimed at internally and externally communicating the organizations goals. She believes in using communications both as a tool for social change and to win. As an alumna of Progressive Women’s Voices, the Women’s Media Center’s premier media and leadership training program for women, Shanelle has executed her training as a spokesperson in outlets like Al Jazeera and NPR. Her writing can be found in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, EBONY Magazine, The Root (Washington Post affiliate), Women’s eNews, Women’s Media Center, Colorlines, and Clutch Magazine among others. She holds a degree in Journalism and New and Online Media from the Manship School of Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. She is a lover of cheese, Miles Davis, and full-bodied Spanish wines. She lives and plays in Oakland.