Shannon Landwehr never planned on calling Baltimore home, but now she can't picture herself anywhere else.
"I like the smallness," the 38-year-old Canton resident said. "You can get to know the city like the back of your hand in no time. There's just something really welcoming about that."
Landwehr, who was named president of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore earlier this year, came to Baltimore a decade ago after deciding Washington, D.C., wasn't for her.
She grew up in central Illinois and went to college in Arizona. The nation's capital piqued her interest as a place to pursue her passion for economic-impact consulting. She found she liked the work, but not the location.
"I just randomly started looking for jobs, found a position with the Economic Alliance, was interviewed and moved to Baltimore two weeks later," Landwehr said.
She started work with the economic development agency in 2006 as a marketing and research director. After five years, Landwehr joined Morgan Stanley, but she returned to the Economic Alliance in 2015 as an executive vice president. She took over as president and CEO in May, when former CEO Tom Sadowski took a position with the University System of Maryland.
As the organization heads into its 20th year in business in 2017, Landwehr said she is eager for the Alliance to play a role in improving economic opportunity in Baltimore and Maryland.
"I keep this Post-It note on my computer and it says, 'How do we get to number one?'" Landwehr said. "People say, 'Well, what do you mean by that?' and I say, 'All of it.'"
Landwehr's dedication to improving opportunity for others isn't limited to the businesses and residents of Baltimore.
In her spare time, she volunteers with animal rescue groups to help drive dogs and cats from kill shelters in the South to organizations that try to place them in homes.
Volunteers like Landwehr agree to drive legs of the route. Sometimes Landwehr picks up prospective pets in Virginia and shuttles them back to Baltimore. Other times she gives the animals a lift from Baltimore to Newark, Del., where they're handed off to another driver.
"You go and load your car up with as many dogs and cats as you can and continue on the route," she said.
Landwehr's Subaru Outback can typically accommodate up to five pooches.
Once, back when she had a Toyota 4-Runner, Landwehr made a run with 15.
So far, Landwehr has stayed strong in the face of extreme cuteness and hasn't adopted any of her riders.
"I have definitely fallen in love a couple times," she said. "But I've never followed through with the adoption process. I know my role."
Shannon Landwehr
Title: president and CEO, Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore
Age: 38
Residence: Baltimore
Hometown: Peoria, Ill.
Education: Bachelor's degree from University of Arizona, master's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, running, volunteering with local animal shelters