Sheila E. Isong joined Giffords in 2019 as the organization’s engagement director, where she crafts and cultivates strategic partnerships and conducts grasstops and grassroots engagement at the national and state levels. An expert on the intersection of gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform, Sheila has authored numerous articles, issue briefs, and reports, and frequently speaks at conferences and events around the country.

Prior to joining Giffords, Sheila was the first national political director at the NAACP, where she strengthened the organization’s legislative and community infrastructure with capacity programs at the national, state, and local levels. Previously, Sheila worked at the LGBTQ Victory Institute as the director of domestic programs and the Center for American Progress as a policy/campaign manager. She also gained a wealth of experience at the National Black Justice Coalition, AFL-CIO, and Community Change.

Sheila graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in politics and philosophy and earned a JD from Howard University School of Law, where she was a member of the Charles Hamilton Houston National Moot Court Team. She is a proud Nigerian-American and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.