Administration

Shannon Banta manages communications and events for AMBayArea. Banta received her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Pacific in Communication and Public Relations. She has more than 15 years of experience in public relations, including event management, print and online communications, media relations and community relations. Shannon began working with manufacturers in 2014 with East Bay Manufacturing Group (AMBayArea’s predecessor). She can be reached at shannon@ambayarea.org.

Joanna Mei is the Ambassador Program Coordinator for AMBayArea linking students and teachers with early-career manufacturing ambassadors. A Bay Area native, she taught math for two years before working with community organizations, including the East Bay Health Workforce Partnership, to develop partnerships between employers and educators, and improve early career pathways. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley in American Studies and Molecular and Cell Biology. She can be reached at ambassador@ambayarea.org.

Joyce Shanahan manages membership services for AMBayArea, providing information and resources to manufacturers throughout the Bay Area. Joyce received her JD degree and bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign. Previously, she was a business owner, lawyer, nonprofit-founder and most recently, executive director of a manufacturing association in Chicago (ICNC) for 12 years. Joyce recently spent a number of years traveling after the youngest of her 5 children graduated college. She is happy to be once again assisting manufacturers in an evolving, dynamic and supportive manufacturing community in the Bay Area. She can be reached at joyce@ambayarea.org.