Shanna Devine serves as the inaugural Director of the Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds. In that capacity, she is responsible for advising the House community on best practices for working with whistleblowers from the public and private sectors.
Prior to joining the House, Shanna was already partnering with Congress in a bipartisan capacity to strengthen working relationships with whistleblowers. Her experience began in 2008 with the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower support organization. As legislative director, she led campaigns that resulted in bipartisan passage of landmark whistleblower laws, including Congress’ unanimous passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012. As an investigator, she worked with whistleblowers to safely verify their allegations and channel their knowledge to Congress for effective oversight. She routinely conducted trainings on best practices for working with whistleblowers, and in 2015 and 2016 she played a strategic role in the establishment of the bipartisan Senate and House Whistleblower Protection Caucuses.
Shanna earned her Master of Public Management degree from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Critical Theory and Social Justice from Occidental College.