2025 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Shannon Gunn, PE, ENV SP

• Hometown: New Orleans, LA
• Alma Mater: Purdue University
• What’s one airport that inspires you? Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority

Shannon Gunn has built her career at the forefront of sustainable aviation engineering. A licensed Professional Engineer in three states and an Envision Sustainability Professional, she specializes in airfield design, sustainable construction solutions, and complex phasing strategies that keep projects on track without compromising operations.

Over the past eight years, Gunn has contributed to major airport programs across the country, including projects at Charlotte Douglas International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit Metropolitan, and Raleigh-Durham. At Indianapolis International Airport, she served as Airfield Design Lead for the Runway 5R-23L and Taxiway D Strengthening and Capacity Enhancement project, which became the first airfield project in the nation to earn Envision Platinum verification. In this role, she bridged engineering and sustainability teams, setting a new benchmark for resilient, environmentally responsible airport infrastructure.

Beyond her project work, Gunn is deeply invested in mentorship and workforce development. She partners with disadvantaged business enterprise firms, serves in leadership roles with WTS and ACEC, and helps introduce K–12 and university students to the possibilities of civil engineering and aviation. Her presentations at industry forums and her active involvement in the Airport Consultants Council reflect her commitment to shaping the future of the field.

For Gunn, the most fulfilling part of her work is collaborative problem-solving. “I enjoy solving problems for my clients and bringing to life concepts that start as colorful exhibits and evolve through design and construction phases,” she said. “Providing opportunities to others never gets old.”