Shannon is the Founder and Executive Director of Sustain Charlotte, where he leads efforts to create a more connected, equitable, and healthy community through smarter growth and transportation choices.

Since founding the organization in 2010, Shannon has helped shape many of Charlotte’s most important land use and transportation decisions—advocating for safer streets for walking, biking, and running; securing major investments in parks and greenways; and advancing policies that support more walkable neighborhoods, improved access to affordable and climate-safe transportation, and more affordable housing. His work brings together residents, business leaders, and policymakers to build a city that works better for everyone.

Under his leadership, Sustain Charlotte has become a leading voice on how Charlotte grows—championing solutions that reduce sprawl, improve public health, strengthen neighborhoods, and expand opportunity across the region.

Before founding Sustain Charlotte, Shannon worked on climate and environmental policy with The Nature Conservancy and served with the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, including co-founding a tsunami relief organization in Thailand. He also worked as an industrial engineer at Motorola, General Motors, and Trane.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University. He has served on the Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation Board, as an adjunct professor at Central Piedmont Community College, and on the North Carolina Advisory Board for Environmental Defense Fund.

He has been recognized by The Charlotte Observer as one of “Seven to Watch,” by the Charlotte Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” honoree and one of the region’s “Top 100 Innovators,” and by WFAE as one of “The Most Powerful Voices in Charlotte.”

He believes the way a city is designed shapes how people live, connect, and thrive—and works every day to help Charlotte reach its full potential.

Meg Fencil (she/her) joined Sustain Charlotte in 2014 and serves as the Director of Engagement and Impact. Meg educates, engages, and unites the community through partnerships and programs to increase equitable transportation choices and promote smart growth in the Charlotte area. Prior to her current role, Meg earned a Ph.D. in marine sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, designed and implemented field research projects in Croatia and Japan, and taught project-based mathematics and science to elementary and high school students. She enjoys uniting her lifelong passion for science with the multidisciplinary work of advancing sustainability to support a healthy environment and better quality of life for all.

Beth Suhr admits that she is NOT a native Charlottean but has been in Charlotte long enough to remember Uptown without Romare Bearden Park and the Thirsty Beaver not surrounded by a massive apartment complex. Since moving to Charlotte in 2013, Beth has only ever lived in Uptown’s Fourth Ward neighborhood and takes full advantage of its walkability. Her formal education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Coastal Carolina University and a Master of Arts in Public Policy degree from SUNY Stony Brook, complemented her long-time proclivity for mission-driven work. She is now a 3-term AmeriCorps alumnus with over 17 years of experience at nonprofit organizations throughout the country, primarily Habitat for Humanity in both New York and North Carolina and United Way. She is also an avid volunteer and a graduate of the City of Charlotte’s Civic Leadership Academy, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Citizens’ Academy, and Community Building Initiative’s Leaders Under 40. Often referred to as “the green one” throughout her network, she makes a sincere effort to steward resources responsibly and creatively and is thrilled to work alongside peers who share a commitment to sustainability and environmental equity.

Eric is our Urban Design Specialist and has been a strong advocate for walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented design in Charlotte’s neighborhoods for years. His main area of focus is working with multiple city and county departments and committees, including the Ordinance Advisory Committee on pushing the boundaries of urban design to meet the challenges that face Charlotte. Before his work with Sustain Charlotte, Eric was president of the South End Neighborhood Association. While president, he advocated for more green space in the neighborhood, safe crossings on the Rail Trail, and the creation of the two corridor studies on South Boulevard and South Tryon Street. After leaving the neighborhood association, he attended UNC Charlotte. While there, Eric received his master’s degree in urban design and finished at the top of his class. Eric has studied urban design abroad in Brazil and is a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism.