Diploma in hand and preparing to attend flight school, the end of the Cold War and the election of President Bill Clinton abruptly cancelled Shawn's plans along with those of most other would-be second lieutenants in the USAF. As a result, he pursued a variety of civilian careers ranging from whitewater raft guide on the Nantahala River to Vice President of Home Healthcare for a national company. The healthcare industry brought him to Atlanta in 1998.

Shawn joined his cousin's swimming pool construction firm 20 years ago, and became its sole owner in 2015. Today, his pool company employs over 100 Georgians in Gwinnett County. Shawn also owns that same rafting company, Endless River Adventures in Bryson City, North Carolina, where he started as a guide in 1994.

Shawn's first year as a legislator included authoring and sponsoring 175 bills and resolutions, many of which were signed into law by Governor Kemp. His work at the Capitol focused on legislation to reduce government oversight, improve the environment, stop fraud in elections and business practices, and reduce taxes for hard working Georgians.

In his second year in office, Shawn will tackle issues like workforce development, sweeping environmental legislation, immigration reform, taking care of our veterans, improving healthcare delivery systems, and tightening up our election integrity laws.

He is laser-focused on running for re-election in 2024 to continue representing the hard-working citizens of Georgia's 48th Senate district.