Perpich News
Board Member Shannon Finnegan Says Farewell
September 17, 2026
Perpich Board Member Shannon Finnegan is concluding her service on the Perpich Board of Directors after serving since February 2025. Appointed by Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Finnegan brought more than 15 years of experience in education, student-centered learning, and arts education to her work on the Board.
Shannon Finnegan
Reflecting on her time with Perpich, Finnegan shared, “It was an honor to serve on the Perpich Board. Perpich creates powerful spaces for young people where they are allowed to be themselves and feel seen, heard, valued, and loved, both at the arts high school and in arts classrooms across Minnesota.”
A lifelong advocate for arts education, Finnegan has worked as an educator at Mankato West High School, The School for Democracy and Leadership in Brooklyn, New York, the Hopkins Alternative Program, and Richfield High School. She also served as the founding educator of The Collaborative Lab School, a partnership between Hopkins Public Schools and Thrive Ed, a nonprofit focused on student-driven education.
Finnegan’s commitment to the arts has been woven throughout her career. She served as Drama Club Advisor and Play Director at both Mankato West and The School for Democracy and Leadership. In 2020, she was recognized as a top ten finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
In 2023, Finnegan co-founded The Loop Consulting Collective, where she helps schools and organizations disrupt harmful practices, reimagine possibilities, and build pathways to sustainable change. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership at the University of Minnesota.
Finnegan holds a B.S. in Social Studies Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and an M.A. in International Education from New York University.
Perpich thanks Shannon Finnegan for her service on the Board of Directors and for her commitment to advancing opportunities for young people through arts education.
If you’re interested in applying for the Perpich Board of Directors, click here.