Shannon P. Hatch

Bio:

Shannon P. Hatch is a strategic public affairs leader with more than 20 years of experience in health and biomedical science communications. Her career in government service at the federal level (spanning four administrations) has provided her unique insight into public health communications during times of political change.

Shannon most recently served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Media Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she guided media strategy and operations aligned with the agency’s regulatory priorities. In this role, she provided high-level counsel to FDA leadership, oversaw a team of 16 public affairs professionals, and managed crisis and executive communications for various topics across the agency’s expansive portfolio.

Prior to this role, Shannon served as a Media Relations Director at the FDA, leading communications efforts for the agency’s drug, oncology, and tobacco centers—including critical announcements related to high-profile issues such as electronic cigarettes, women’s health, non-prescription drugs, as well as therapeutics for neuroscience and infectious diseases (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Before joining the FDA, Shannon was the Media Relations Branch Chief at the National Cancer Institute, where she significantly expanded the institute’s media outreach and spokesperson engagement capabilities.

Earlier in her career, Shannon contributed to national policy and advocacy efforts through her work with the Association of American Cancer Institutes and supported public health clients at Feinstein Kean Healthcare, an Ogilvy PR company.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Media Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. Shannon is passionate about using communications to build trust, make science accessible, and support mission-driven work that improves public health.