Member

Shawn Landres

Shawn Landres has built a multi-decade track record of leadership across the social good sectors – nonprofit, philanthropic, academic, and public alike. An award-winning civic leader who bridges multiple communities, his research and impact in social innovation and community development have earned attention in the U.S., Europe, and beyond. Since the early 2010s, Shawn has served on and led numerous local government commissions in Southern California, where much of his work has focused on nurturing public access to and trust in government and strengthening diverse and inclusive democratic civil society, including as the co-designer and volunteer lead for the Los Angeles Jewish Federation’s CIVruta initiative, which was awarded the Lippman Kanfer Prize for Applying Jewish Wisdom to Democracy and Civic Engagement. In early 2022, Shawn founded a multinational grassroots volunteer humanitarian network providing responsive case management for Ukrainians and Ukrainian refugees, and more recently to displaced Israelis as well.

A UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Senior Fellow since 2016, Shawn currently is Chair Emeritus of the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission and a member and past chair of the City of Santa Monica Planning Commission. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council and is a past board member of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California. The co-founder of Jumpstart Labs and co author of groundbreaking research on the Jewish innovation ecosystem as well as on religion and household charitable giving, Shawn holds degrees in religious studies and social anthropology from Columbia, Oxford, and UC Santa Barbara, where he earned a PhD. He and his family live in Santa Monica, California, while also maintaining strong ties in the Slovak Republic.

Back to Team
Share

Next Up:

Deborah Price

Field Representative

Take Action Donate

June 2, 2025

JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick on MSNBC: The Antisemitic Attack in Boulder, CO Did Not Occur in a Vacuum

June 19, 2025

JCPA Summit 2025

June 14, 2025

JCPA Statement on Political Violence Targeting MN Elected Officials

June 13, 2025

Protected: JCPA Summit 2025 | Resources

June 10, 2025

Identity/Crisis Podcast: Hate Crimes in the Name of Resistance – with Amy Spitalnick

June 5, 2025

JTA: Trump’s new travel ban will block ‘those in need of real refuge,’ American Jewish Committee says

June 5, 2025

Civil Rights Coalition Joint Statement on Antisemitic Hate Crimes

June 5, 2025

New Travel Ban is Dangerous, Wrong, and Will Not Make American Jews Safer

June 4, 2025

USA Today: President Trump bans travel from 12 nations, partially restricts entry from seven others

June 3, 2025

ABC News: Colorado attack comes amid record incidents of antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes

June 3, 2025

NYT: Denouncing Antisemitism, Trump Also Fans Its Flames