Shannon Hannon and her husband Adam Hannon planted deep, thick roots into their hometown of La Porte many years ago.
These roots then branched into a strong, sturdy desire to help support the people and organizations throughout the county.
Hannon moved around a lot due to her father’s work. During the middle school age her family moved to La Porte, and she has firmly attached herself to the spot, growing up into an employee of La Porte Hospital, an avid volunteer, and a member of several La Porte County organizations.
She attended Purdue University, graduating with degrees in psychology and sociology. She moved back to the region and while working for Community Health Systems she had first child and was working on obtaining her masters at Indiana Wesleyan University.
“That was a very busy time frame,” she said. “At the time there were a lot of things going on but I knew I wanted to stay in the community. So after I finished my masters, I started working at La Porte Hospital.”
Her next degree was in Business Development, and was working at the hospital doing acquisition of services, launching new services lines and programs, and running analyses on current programs.
She was in that position for three years before shifting to the current role of working for the Physician Network side, where she is the Director of Physician Practice Management of La Porte Hospital. She and her colleagues are responsible for the operations of the 80 affiliated clinics.
“My husband is a police sergeant for La Porte Police Department,” she said. “We are both pretty rooted in the community with the both of us working for the two largest employers of the community. It is important for us to be out in the community with our kids and making sure we are giving back.”
The Hannons attend the Sunflower Fair, the concerts, run through the parks, and participate and volunteer in fundraisers hosted throughout the county.
They are also out at the Tour de La Porte bike and run race every year.
“I am on the planning committee for the Tour de La Porte and that whole weekend, we are very invested,” she said. “It is a huge thing. My in-laws get involved, everyone in the family volunteers… It is something we never miss.”
Since all the proceeds from the weekend’s races go to the cancer fund of the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte to help cancer patients in the community, Hannon said she cannot think of a better cause or better way to spend her time.
Hannon has also been serving on the La Porte Community School Board for the last four years and is on the board for the La Porte County Women in Leadership, an organization she previously operated as president for four years. And, she is currently on the board of directors for Junior Achievement.
The definition of volunteer extends its meaning to more than just working without pay in Hannon’s eyes.
Volunteer means giving back to the community. It means keeping your time and money local. It means assisting in making the community you live and raise your family in a better place. Also, it means showing your kids the importance of supporting the local businesses and organizations in their community.
“There’s nothing better than giving back to the community where you live,” she explained. “Whether it is doing stuff for the foundation that is tied to the hospital or something else, I think that it is important for my kids to know to give back to the community, even if it doesn’t serve you. It’s important to be invested and make the place you live a better place.”
Hannon is truly invested in the La Porte community, yet she does take time to invest in herself.
Hannon’s outlet, hobby, stress reliever, and just a way for fun, is running. She is a marathon runner, having run several full marathons and a countless number of half-marathons.
“That’s how I like to start my day,” she said. “I like to run competitively. It is just super fun.”
Hannon will start marathon training late this summer to run the Chicago Marathon for the first time and on the sidelines cheering her on, will be her two little girls and husband.
One daughter, age 8, is also becoming a runner. She was part of the Kingsbury Elementary School Girls on the Run program, where the mother and daughter ran the end of the season 5k race together.
“It is really fun to run with my daughter,” she said. “We have run a few races together already.”
Her other daughter, also a Kingsbury student, is 5-years-old, so too young to run as of now.
The Hannons plan weekends and summer activities by checking the calendar to see what fun and exciting event is going on in Northwest Indiana. Whether that means volunteering or participating, expect the Hannons to be there.
“Anything I can take the kids to is something really important to my husband and myself,” she said. “We are both really rooted in the community and we want to be here with our kids.”