| From Shannon Maness's point of view, some people are fortunate to have called Montana home because they were born and raised here; some get to call it home by choice. Shannon and his wife Krista fall into the latter camp. The couple chose to settle in Dillon after both had previously explored the state. Says Shannon, "After visiting a couple times to see a friend and do some hunting, I couldn't get Montana out of my mind."
Shannon was raised with his sister in north Georgia by hardworking conservative parents. He spent his youth hunting, fishing, and riding horses with his dad and cousins. Shannon graduated from the University of Georgia in 1999 with Bachelor's degree in animal science, and a minor in agricultural economics. Before moving to Montana in the summer of 2010, Shannon wore several vocational hats, including cutting horse trainer, real estate agent, and UPS delivery driver. In Montana, Shannon has worked as hunting guide in several wilderness areas and has worked in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Once kids came along, his priority to be an always-present dad took precedence over seasonal occupations, so Shannon worked as a manager on a local recreational ranch before starting his own business, Blacktail Appliance Repair, in 2018.
Since settling in Beaverhead County, the 48-year-old father of two has invested much of his energy in local community volunteer service. He is currently an elected trustee of the Dillon Elementary School Board, and finance chairman of the Beaverhead County Republican Central Committee, where he has also served as secretary/treasurer. As a life-long hunter, Shannon enjoys serving as youth hunt coordinator for the local chapter of Pheasants Forever. He is secretary of the Dillon/Butte Montana Landlords Association, and previously served four years as a church deacon. |