Shawn Deabay was selected as the Deputy Executive Director for the Texas Veterans Commission in June 2019. In this position, he assists with the overall strategic vision and administration of the agency. He also develops policies, procedures, and guidelines establishing priorities to meet agency goals. Shawn directly oversees Communications & Outreach, the Women Veterans Program, Government Relations, and Information Resources.
He has been serving veterans for the State of Texas with both the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Veterans Commission for over 23 years. Shawn began his career with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as a Veterans Career Advisor in East Texas on May 15, 2000. Shortly after, he became a Veterans Employer Liaison in 2003. In March 2006, he transitioned to the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) where he has held multiple positions.
At TVC, Shawn started as the Veterans Employment District Manager for East Texas. He served as a policy writer and performance analyst before moving up to Operations Manager and then Employment Services Director. From there he moved up to Division Director for Program Operations over multiple programs before being selected for his current position.
Shawn earned a National Employment Services Award from the Disabled American Veterans for his service to disabled veterans as well as receiving State Employment Awards from the Disabled American Veterans and American Legion.
Shawn earned his Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Permian Basin, his Bachelor of Science in Management from Park University, and his Associate of Science in General Business from Angelina College. He is a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Deployment Program and the Texas Fiscal Officer’s Academy. He served with the Maine National Guard from 1990 to 1992 and is a veteran of the United States Army from 1992 to 1998 before being medically discharged.