Shawn Shouldice

Shawn Shouldice is a professional advocate for clients who have interests before the legislative, administrative, and executive branches of Vermont state government. She has been representing clients for more than two decades and has become noted for her success in implementing strong grassroots advocacy campaigns within Vermont and outside of Vermont.

Shawn, in 1987, co-founded, William Shouldice & Associates, then after a successful 18 year career, founded Capital Connections, LLC in 2007; a government and public relations firm that is built on Shawn's years of expertise in providing her Clients with legislative and regulatory issues management, stakeholder engagement, campaign strategies, grassroots advocacy, and communications services.

Her clients have included a wide variety of interests including large and small businesses in many economic sectors, local, state, regional and international trade associations, and non-profit organizations ranging to local philanthropies. Shawn has represented these interests before the Legislature and state administrative and regulatory agencies. She also has a long working relationship with Vermont's delegation to Congress and their staff.

She has sharpened these skills during two decades of practice, and at the same time has developed the asset that is essential for success and that comes only with experience: personal relationships with key government officials and staffs. These relationships, based on trust and past performance, have helped elevate Shawn as one of the best known and most successful advocates in Vermont.

Shawn has served on the Board of Trustee for the Lake Dunmore/Fern Lake Association, served as a Board of Director of The Advocacy Group, and most recently was appointed by Governor Jim Douglas to serve as the Vice Chair of the National Governor’s Association Selection Committee for the NGA's Public-Private Partnership Awards.

She brought to this profession a bachelor's degree in business administration from Merrimack College, an associate's degree in business administration from Endicott College, and experience in sales work for two large New England based insurance companies. She also brought lifetime knowledge of Vermont and many years of full-and part-time work in her family's retail business.

Shawn, a life-long Vermonter, has three children; Will, Caitlin and Erin.  Shawn is married to Michael H. McShane; they live in Montpelier, VT.

Paulette O’Bryan

Every successful organization, large or small, needs someone whose job is to keep things moving. At Capital Connections, LLC that person is Paulette.

Paulette O'Bryan has been running offices in Montpelier for three decades, including some of state government's most high-profile operations such as the Vermont Public Service Board. She knows her way around the state government bureaucracy as well as anyone in town.

In addition to day-to-day responsibility of managing the Capital Connections' offices, she works directly with some of the firm's clients on grassroots legislative tasks and helps with administrative duties of the client organizations. She has produced newsletters and organized continuing education materials for clients; is instrumental in providing organizational expertise for hosting meetings and conferences for their clients.

In short, when the principal of Capital Connections, LLC is in the State House, in Washington, or meeting elsewhere with clients and government or industry officials, Paulette is the go-to person for this busy organization.

Paulette and her husband, David, live in Barre, Vermont.

Erin Stackus

Erin Stackus recently joined Capital Connections, LLC as an Account Associate after relocating to Central Vermont with her husband.  A native of the Finger Lakes Region in Upstate New York, Erin has worked with a broad range of clients in the areas of retail, tourism, financial services, healthcare and local government.  She previously worked for an international advertising agency in Rochester, NY, where she established her niche in public relations and media consulting.

Most recently, Erin served as the Sales and Marketing Assistant at the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce in Seneca Falls, NY.  In her role, Erin served as an information resource for Chamber members and community resources, managed member communications and was responsible for membership compliance and sales.

As an active community member, Erin has served on the American Red Cross of the Finger Lakes Board of Directors as well as the Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension Board of Directors, and performed numerous community projects as an active Rotarian in her hometown.

Erin received a B.S. in Business from Elmira College and brings with her many years of sales, marketing and public relations experience from working in her family’s business.