Shannah Tharp-Gilliam 

Shannah Tharp-Gilliam 

Director, Area Agency on Aging, Allegheny County Department of Human Services 

          
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Shannah Tharp-Gilliam, PhD, is Director of the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging at the Department of Human Services (DHS-AAA). A Georgetown University graduate with a master’s and doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh, she holds certifications in program evaluation, public policy, and gerontology innovations. 
 

Since joining DHS-AAA in 2022, Shannah had led a 135-member team and 82 contracted providers who serve over 40,000 people annually. She has expanded the agency’s partnerships, secured millions in new funding, and introduced innovative workforce solutions to address direct-care challenges and in-home care waitlists. 
 

Previously, she spent over a decade as a nonprofit leader, developing community-driven advocacy for racial, economic, and social justice. As research director for Homewood Children’s Village and a behavioral scientist at RAND Corporation, she crafted data-driven policy recommendations for state, local, community, educational, and health initiatives for two decades. She currently serves as Allegheny County Sanitary Authority Board President.