25 Women for 2024: Shannon Smith leaps into action to foster children, animals
When Shannon Smith decided to make Tallahassee home, she opened the doors wide and created a home for the foster children and dogs who needed one, too.
As a foster mother, animal advocate, community volunteer, and public relations professional who lends her voice to champion for others, Shannon has earned a spot on this year’s list of Tallahassee’s 25 Women to Know.
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Smith came to Tallahassee to work as a reporter in 2007 to cover the legislative session. A year later she returned and made Tallahassee home. Now, she is a Managing Director at the Moore Agency, where she is also Moore’s subject matter expert in media training and public speaking, teaching others how to shine in their own spotlight.
She also runs the organization’s award-winning wellness program and takes an active role in mentorship at Riley Elementary School. “I wear many hats, and some might say too many, but each hat is something I care deeply about and is rooted in a desire to help others thrive and to lift up those who need it,” Smith said.
Smith leans into her past experiences in her effort to change the world around her. As a child, she was raised by her grandparents as her parents struggled with drug and alcohol issues.
She decided to make a difference for kids in similar situations by joining in with One More Child in 2017, and has since fostered seven children, including a girl nicknamed, “Princess Pigtails,” who was eventually reunited with her maternal grandmother.
During her foster journey, Smith met and fell in love with two boys – Caden and Colten – whom she fostered and later adopted as her two beloved sons. “If it was not for my grandparents, I certainly would have been in foster care. When I decided that I wanted to be a mom, I was aware that there was a huge need and I was drawn to that because of my own childhood.”
Smith leaps into action whenever a need is made known. Following the Boston Marathon bombing, Smith organized a 5.2 mile race and raised over $8,000 to honor those who were unable to complete it. When she saw a kindergartener’s wish to find clothes for his mom under the Christmas tree, she led a fundraising effort that raised $13,000 and gifted every single Riley Elementary kindergartner wrapped presents and good food for the holiday.
“I cannot sit idle when I see injustice or suffering among children or animals, because for the most part, they cannot defend themselves,” Smith said. “The problems in child welfare, poverty, homelessness among students in schools like Riley, and in animal rescue are overwhelming. Some days are very hard. But nothing I feel about it is as hard as what that child or shelter dog is actually enduring.”
She has served in leadership roles with the Leon County Humane Society, including Board Member and secretary raising more than $20,000 for animals in need. Smith has fostered numerous dogs over the years, adopting five pups of her own. Today, she continues her commitment to animal welfare by volunteering with regional animal rescue transports and giving her time at the Tallahassee Animal Service Center.
You may also find Smith in the role of cheerleader and welcoming host. As the founder of BA Fitness, she spent five years providing a space for women and young girls to challenge their limits and find fitness.
Now, Smith continues that role through her role as a nutrition coach and by teaching weekly classes at Premier Health and Kaos. She and her husband recently opened GroundOps, where all of her passions come together – a chance to build a place where people – and dogs – can come together to enjoy a welcoming community alongside a good, fresh cup of coffee.
Tallahassee is more than a home for Smith, it is a hub where her passion for mentoring, coaching, leading, and energizing others can happen.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 25 Women for 2024: Shannon Smith takes action for children, animals
