Shamra Baez grew up in Western Washington and attended college at the University of California Berkeley where she obtained a BA in Applied Mathematics. She settled in California where her three daughters were born, then moved to Michigan and discovered what life with five months of winter every year feels like. She is happy to be back in her "home" state of Washington and has found that Walla Walla is the perfect place for her. Shamra's youngest daughter has Down syndrome, and because of her Shamra has found herself repeatedly in the role of researcher, teacher, and advocate. Shamra and family moved to Walla Walla in 2015 and within a year were involved with the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network (WWVDN). Shamra was first a member of the WWVDN Board of Directors, and then in 2018 was hired as the creator and manager of the wwvdn.org website as well as the WWVDN Executive Assistant. From 2018 to 2021, Shamra served on the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, which advocates with our state legislators and state agencies to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. The growth of WWVDN over its 10-year history has been tremendous and Shamra attributes its success to the passion and commitment of the staff, board of directors, and the families, friends, and professionals affiliated with the network.
