Jamie M. Metcalf

The daughter of Filipino immigrants, Jamie was born in Illinois. Her mother was a nurse at Michael Reese Hospital and her father worked in accounting for General Motors, later earning his MBA from Benedictine University. Her parents followed their passions to become successful entrepreneurs – Jamie’s father established a landscaping company while her mother, a florist, opened Manuel Floral Creations Garden – and instilled in Jamie the value of serving others.

In 2012, Jamie married the love of her life, David R. Metcalf. Their son, Franklin, was born four years later. Upon David’s death in 2019, Jamie recognized the importance of sharing her husband’s story with the hope of helping other families and has dedicated her life’s work to assisting veterans and active-duty military in Naval Special Warfare and special operations forces. Jamie is on the Naperville Responds For Veterans Board of Directors and an active spokesperson and advocate for the Navy SEAL Foundation, sharing her personal experiences on traumatic injury and warrior suicide to help others impacted by invisible wounds.

Jamie has served on the Filipino Association of South DuPage Board of Directors where she continues to support the local Filipino community. Since childhood, she has been singing the U.S. and Filipino National Anthems at Filipino Association events. Jamie is a former engineering coordinator for Sheraton and served as executive assistant to the general manager at W Hotels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business information systems from Remington College and University of Phoenix.

Shannon Finn Connell, Ph.D

Shannon Finn Connell, Ph.D., is an executive coach, author, organizational change leader and philanthropist. An active-duty U.S. Navy SEAL parent, Shannon serves as an advisor to the Navy SEAL Foundation where she leads advocacy initiatives for special operations warriors transitioning from active-duty military service to civilian life.

A former executive with SYSCO, Shell Oil and Procter & Gamble, Shannon worked internationally in China and Latin America before combining her corporate experiences and academic pursuits. She obtained her Ph.D. in organizational development, researching design thinking as a problem-solving methodology in global organizational change initiatives. While maintaining leadership positions in business, she was appointed adjunct professor of management in the MBA program at Rice University.

Shannon serves on the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board to design academic and career opportunities for marginalized students and was named 2022 Philanthropist of the Year for her work. A member of Forbes Coaches Council and certified Gallup Strengths-Based executive coach, Shannon’s organizational change work is rooted in positive psychology. She holds an MBA from North Central College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Cincinnati.

The David R Metcalf Foundation Website: Click Here