This award recognizes individuals who volunteer in the Community Center system. The presentation was held in Dallas on June 21. MHMR Services for the Concho Valley proudly nominated Mrs. Jacqueline Shannon to salute her dedication, compassion, and tireless efforts to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness.
Jacqueline “Jackie” Shannon is a champion for people with mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities, serving the citizens of San Angelo, the State of Texas, and the nation.
As a passionate advocate and devoted mother of a child diagnosed with a mental illness, Mrs. Shannon is recognized for her leadership and utilized as a resource locally and nationally. She has been an active member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) since 1987 and served an unprecedented three terms as President of the NAMI Board of Directors. She has also served on various community and state councils that improved policy and outreach, including the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental Impairment, the Texas Mental Health and Planning Advisory Council, and the Citizens’ Advisory and Planning Committee of the Texas Department of MHMR. While acting as President of TEXAMI (now NAMI Texas) in 1991 to 1994, one of her proudest moments was successfully advocating for the passage of the first mental health parity state insurance legislation in the country, which provided non-discriminatory health insurance to all public employees of Texas and expanded in 1997 to include all businesses with 50 or more employees.
Mrs. Shannon is in her eleventh term as a member of the MHMR Services for the Concho Valley Board of Trustees, the longest-tenured trustee to serve in the Center’s history, and currently serves as Chairperson. Mr. Gregory J. Rowe, Executive Director of MHMR Services for the Concho Valley, describes Mrs. Shannon as “a tireless and dedicated advocate for persons with mental illness and the most tenured and persistent volunteer in the history of the Center.” Through 30 years of unwavering work and dedicated leadership, she has earned the respect of families, consumers, politicians, and fellow advocates.
Mrs. Shannon is honored to share this award with her late husband, Dr. Charley Shannon, who was the recipient of the Frank M. Adams Award in 1995.
