Government > City Officials > Common Council > Biographies > President Shawn Morris

Hon. Shawn Morris

President

On the council, Shawn has worked to open up city government to better public participation. She chaired the Law, Building and Code Enforcement Committee, the Finance and Budget Committee and Land and Recreation Committee. She authored legislation establishing a Vacant Buildings Registry aimed at better managing the city’s building stock, established a Parks Planning Commission that inventoried and made recommendations for the city’s parks, and co-sponsored C-1 design standards, which require buildings in neighborhood commercial districts to fit in with and enhance the residential and pedestrian friendly aspects of their surrounding community.

Prior to her election to the Common Council, Shawn worked for the State Assembly in several positions including the Director of Editing and Processing for Communication and Information Services and Director of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Shawn graduated from SUNY Albany in 1979 with a degree in Communications.

Shawn and her husband, John Wellspeak, have two children: Alanna, a student at the University at Buffalo, and Devin, who attends Albany High School. They live on Marinello Terrace and are active members of St. James Parish, the Delaware Area Neighborhood Association and several school and community activities.