Shawna Paradee, MBA, has more than 25 years of experience working with enterprise systems. She has delivered technology solutions for diverse industries, including energy, infrastructure, international development, telecommunications, and emergency response. She currently serves as the principal architect and senior technology manager at TRC Companies. In this role, Paradee leads with empathy, clarity, and strategic foresight while guiding technical strategy, enterprise architecture, and program recovery.
“Technology is just the tool,” Paradee says. “People are the system. If you miss that, you miss everything that matters.”
This people-first approach is rooted in a career shaped by both technical expertise and a lifelong commitment to understanding human systems.
A History of Excellence
Paradee earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from DeVry University, where she graduated, magna cum laude, and as a valedictorian. Later, she obtained a Master of Business Administration, with a focus on technical management, from the University of Phoenix.
Paradee’s educational background set the foundation for a leadership style that blends logic and empathy, qualities that she brings to the forefront of enterprise strategy today.
Empathy at the Center of Enterprise Strategy
At TRC Companies, Paradee designs scalable systems, advises executive leadership, aligns stakeholders, and mentors junior engineers. Her deep understanding of human dynamics enables her to lead with what she calls empathetic intelligence. She can anticipate tension and resolve it before it causes issues by guiding people through persuasion, not coercion.
“When you grow up navigating volatility, you become fluent in the unspoken. I learned to sense the shift before the storm. I could read a room before anyone said a word: every glance, every pause, every breath. That emotional precision, once used for survival, became my leadership advantage. That’s how trauma becomes wisdom and empathy becomes influence,” Paradee explains.
This emotional acuity has shaped her leadership style and has been a key driver behind her many professional accomplishments.
Paradee’s leadership philosophy is the foundation of her successes in her long career. It has helped her rescue troubled vendor partnerships, stabilize complex programs, and rebuild difficult client relationships into long-lasting partnerships. In one case, Paradee had to resolve a difficult situation when a multibillion-dollar client asked her to replace a vendor midstream on a critical project due to their established relationship with her.
“You don’t earn leadership by being the smartest person in the room. You earn it by creating space for others to grow, to be heard and to succeed,” Paradee says.
Proven Success Across Industries
Throughout her career, Paradee has created systems and led programs that have had a significant impact worldwide. The work she performs often bridges high-tech innovation and humanitarian endeavors. She has earned the trust of many global institutions and public-sector leaders. The impressive breadth of her experience speaks to her ability to deliver high-impact technical outcomes while navigating organizational complexities.
Paradee’s portfolio includes collaborations with some of the world’s most respected organizations. Among her many accomplishments, she assisted in NASA and USAID’s SERVIR Program, which delivers geospatial platforms for climate and disaster monitoring. She has also helped the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation by designing tools for agriculture investment and international development. Another major project Paradee worked on was with the African Agricultural Transformation Programs, where she built systems to track impact across six countries on the African continent. She has also worked with state and local governments on emergency services, transportation, and historic preservation in the states of Washington and California.
In recognition of her industry impact and contributions, Paradee was selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in June 2025 for her expertise in her field.
In her leadership role, Paradee has led the delivery of GIS platforms, location intelligence systems, cloud migrations, infrastructure modernization, scalable APIs, custom web applications, full-stack platforms, and much more.
Looking ahead, Paradee aspires to continue to work with mission-aligned organizations where she can create a lasting impact through her expertise and leadership.
