Dr. Shaashawn S. Dial, she/her pronouns, is a self-identified proud army brat born in Germany, attended her first two years of high school in Seoul, Korea, and studied for six months at St. Peter’s College in Oxford, England. She was nicknamed “The Voyce” by the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania poetry scene and her bff-business partner Nadeen (www.mothasistah.com). Dr. Shaashawn is known for her huge smile, smooth alto voice through which you can ‘hear her smile’ on radio airwaves. She is an award-winning radio broadcaster, author, edu-taining facilitator, engaging mistress of ceremonies, polished plenary moderator, thorough panelist, and unapologetic advocate, disruptor and leader-scholar.
Dr. Shaashawn is the Founder of Voycetress Media, LLC (www.Shaashawn.com) providing consulting services via curriculum development, professional development, facilitation experiences regarding justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging and voice over services. Shaashawn is the author of two books: Acquired Taste of Love: Spice Filled Poems to Please Your Palate and Estrogen in the Atmosphere (2014) and a spoken word CD titled VOYCEMAIL (2010).
Dr. Shaashawn currently contributes her time, treasures, and talents as the Director of Education and Community Relations with Planned Parenthood Great Plains (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-plains/about-us) rebuilding the education department and establishing community relations efforts for 13 health centers across four states: western Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. In addition, she is in her third and a half year of service with the Heart of Missouri United Way Board (www.uwheartmo.org/) in addition to its Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Committee. Shaashawn is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority Incorporated, one of the Divine Nine.
Dr. Shaashawn is no stranger to making HERstory, she served as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Stephens College, the second oldest womxn’s college in the U.S., one of 32 womxn’s colleges remaining in the country. She completed a two-year term on the CoMo (Columbia, Missouri) Downtown Leadership Council and served one year as the inaugural Co-Vice Chair & Commissioner of Pennsylvania former Governor Tom Wolf’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs (https://www.governor.pa.gov/pennsylvania-commission-lgbtq-affairs/), the first commission of its kind in the nation. Dr. Shaashawn is the first Black womxn to hold the position of President of the Board of Directors for the LGBT Center of Central PA in 2017 (www.centralpalgbtcenter.org/) and co-founded Studs Magazine, a quarterly publication that celebrated Handsomely Beautifully Women (masculine presenting womxn) in 2007. In 2007 while serving as the Program Director of Harrisburg’s only urban radio station, WTCY1400 AM “THE TOUCH” she created and hosted The Shaashawn Dial Show: A Dial Movement weekdays 3pm- 7 pm; the first live and local weekday show in the station’s eighteen-year existence. Her additional broadcasting experience includes: WWKL-FM Hot 92.1 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, KWWC-FM 90.5 in Columbia, Missouri, and WVST-FM 91.3 in Petersburg, Virginia. Dr. S. Dial is the former Director of Equity and Affirmative Action and Staff Liaison to the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission for the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and she contributed her skills, work ethic and passion in roles as coordinator, director, adviser and adjunct professor with organizations such as: HACC Community College, Central Pennsylvania College, and the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.
Dr. Shaashawn’s formal education includes: a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies (ALS) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, Pennsylvania), a master’s in Public Administration from Shippensburg University (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania), Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising in Higher Education from Kansas State University (Manhattan Kansas), and B.A. in Philosophy, Law, and Rhetoric from Stephens College (Columbia, Missouri). Dr. Shaashawn is a lifelong learner and embraces opportunities for consistent professional development, the most recent: SparkED Sex Educator Facilitator Training, University of South Florida Muma College of Business 7-week DEI in the Workplace Certificate, and the Pennsylvania Municipal Administration Training Center (PA MATC) Pennsylvania Municipal League course.
Dr. Shaashawn’s purpose is to use her gift, her alto voice, for the facilitated exchange of information infused with arts performance to raise consciousness, close disparity gaps, minimize exclusion, while striving for liberation from ‘isms’, phobias, discrimination, and oppression. Shaashawn is on a mission to connect people to people and people to information by taking private conversations public, practicing the art of getting comfortable being uncomfortable especially when defensiveness and awkwardness show up. Shaashawn creates brave learning environments for individuals, communities, and organizations to reflect upon values and build skills.
*The spelling of womxn is transgender inclusive
