Shaniqua “Shan” Rose was born into an immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York and relocated to Central Florida, where she graduated from Poinciana High School. She then went on to receive her Associate’s Degree in General Studies from Valencia College and continued her education with a Bachelor’s Degree in Supervision and Management from Polk State College. She now holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Shan started working for the City of Orlando in the Economic Development Department for the Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), where she endeavoured on different projects, including a nighttime economy study which resulted in creating a nighttime downtown manager. Shan later accepted a position in the city’s Permitting Office. There, she participated in various division enhancements, including the conversion of paper construction plans to digital, the creation of online tools for individuals that visit the City of Orlando, and initiation of required meetings between contractors and staff to discuss plan review or inspection issues, to assist the applicant with swifter completion of permits and construction projects. Shan has a passion to create positive changes; while at the City of Orlando, she researched and submitted grants to assist with homelessness in the region, made revisions to the Appearance Review policy to reduce the lengthy process to renovate the exterior of buildings, and initiated the creation of additional business incentives to assist and attract businesses. Shan’s passion is to provide healing to communities in need – from poverty to mentoring, but more specifically an opportunity to be united in focus.