FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association
Beyond the Academy - Turning Knowledge into Community Impact: How the FBI Citizens Academy experience inspired a commitment to service, outreach, and community engagement.
Shannon Tilley is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy and currently serves as Secretary of the FBI Minneapolis Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBIMCAAA). In 2027, she will assume the role of Vice President, continuing her commitment to the organization's mission of promoting safer communities through education, partnerships, outreach, and service.
What began as an opportunity to learn more about the FBI evolved into a passion for service and community engagement. Through the FBI Citizens Academy, Shannon gained a unique behind-the-scenes perspective of the FBI's mission and operations, including experiences at FBI Headquarters, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the FBI Academy at Quantico. These experiences reinforced her belief that strong communities are built through informed citizens, engaged leaders, and collaborative partnerships.
Under the chapter's outreach mission, members work to support vulnerable populations throughout Minnesota and beyond. Recent projects have included assembling rescue bags for survivors of human trafficking, distributing community care kits to individuals in need, providing clothing and hygiene supplies to the Washington County Crisis Response Unit, supporting youth experiencing homelessness through Hope 4 Youth, collecting school supplies for Merrick Community Services, and assembling Welcome Home Kits for individuals transitioning into stable housing. Chapter members have also provided significant donations of winter clothing, blankets, infant supplies, comfort items, and children's gifts to victim services organizations serving the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The chapter distributed hundreds of rescue bags and care kits in 2026 and provided support to more than fifteen community organizations.
In addition to service, the chapter is committed to lifelong learning and public education. Through educational events and presentations, members have explored topics including human trafficking awareness, elder fraud prevention, wildlife conservation, major criminal investigations, hostage negotiations, and public safety issues impacting communities across Minnesota and the nation.
Professionally, Shannon serves as a Program Management Principal at Allianz Life, where she leads large-scale transformation initiatives. Outside of work, she is passionate about leadership, community involvement, creating opportunities for others to make a difference, and cheering on her daughter who plays collegiate golf.