About Us
About Blue Onyx
Since 2020, Blue Onyx Consulting, LLC has been helping non-profit organizations and school districts increase overall efficiencies. In response to the pandemic, Dr. Shaunna D. Finley started Blue Onyx because she saw the implications it would have on communities. In the past two years, Blue Onyx has enhanced organizations’ proficiencies by designing effective strategies and solutions to address pain points, which lead to improved overall efficiencies.
About Dr. Shaunna D. Finley
Dr. Shaunna Finley is a first-generation high school graduate and has overcome many obstacles which have led her on a journey to impact communities across the country.
Dr. Finley is the first African-American to serve on the Portage Township School Board in Portage, Indiana. She also serves on the Board of Works and Redevelopment Commission for the City of Portage.
Dr. Finley holds several degrees and certifications. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University in Sociology, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Indiana University, a Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana State University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy from Indiana State University. She also holds a Project Management Certification.
She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She and her family are active community members in the city where they reside.
East Chicago Central High School
Dr. Finley is an experienced educator who has served as an assistant superintendent, high school principal, college and careers coordinator, and high school teacher. Most of the students she served were from African American, Hispanic and low-income communities. She was the first African American female principal of East Chicago Central High School in East Chicago, IN. East Chicago Central High School was at risk of state takeover due to a lack of meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP).
Dr. Finley’s ability to build strong relationships with students, staff and the community has resulted in East Chicago Central High School earning its highest school leader grade in its history.
Under her leadership, several partnerships were established including:
- The first-ever JROTC Program approval.
- A partnership with the University of Notre Dame focused on increasing the number of students participating in advanced placement courses.
- Introduction of the Lilly Counseling Initiative (supported by the Lilly Foundation) which impacted students from Pre-K to 12th grade.
Additional Experience
Dr. Finley has served as adjunct faculty at Calumet College of St. Joseph for nine years. She has taught Change Management and Project Management Courses in the Master of Science in Management Program.
She has a background in curriculum development related to Integrated Student Supports.
Awards
- Indiana’s 2018 District 1 Principal of the Year
- North Township Trustee Women of Prominence in Education Award
- The Crossing Student Empowerment Award
Publications
- “Plant a Seed” (chapter) in The Leader Reader: Narratives of Experience
- We Can! We Can! Leadership Stories from Minoritized Women (Upcoming)
Completed Projects Include:
- Designed a virtual learning delivery model to support bilingual students, families, and staff.
- Increased Work-Based Learning Programs to meet the needs of exceptional students.
- Facilitated coaching supports to education leaders to rethink learning in a virtual world.
- Facilitated a gap analysis to assess unmet organization needs.
Dr. Finley Presenting on Motivational Interviewing
Dr. Finley Interviewed By Portage Life
CLICK HERE TO SEE ARTICLE OR READ BELOW
The future of his city is important to Jeremiah Sims.
He wants it to be safe, inclusive and provide equal opportunities for all of its residents.
Sims, one of the leaders of the peaceful June 1 protest which aimed to raise awareness about the need for equity and diversity within the community, said he didn’t want the spirit of that evening to end.
He joined the newly formed Inclusion, Diversity and Equity through Action (I.D.E.A.) committee to help raise awareness, educate the public and help tackle issues.
“A lot of people don’t even realize it is a problem in the community. You can’t solve a problem if you are not aware of it,” said Sims. “Part of the problem is people being able to sit in their comfortability when people of color don’t have that ability.”
Shaunna Finley, a member of the Portage Township School Board and the city’s Board of Works, said the idea of the committee began prior to the demonstration. She and Mayor Sue Lynch began talking about the need for the group prior to Lynch taking office in January. The idea picked up after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
The group began meeting in June and will make a presentation on its progress to the city council at the council’s Sept. 1 meeting.
“We want to be proactive instead of reactive,” said Finley, adding IDEA is addressing not only the needs of people of color, but other minority groups including the disabled and women.
Their goal is to promote inclusion and diversity within the city; to make Portage a more welcoming community and to provide initiatives through which all people can reach their full potential.
They’ve begun their work by meeting with police department officials.
Finley said the 13-member committee, along with city officials, have talked about several issues facing the police department, including low pay, the lack of training and resources and a need to better promote the department to the community and the Region to attract future police officers.
Finley said it was “eye opening” that Portage police starting salary is $39,000, near the bottom of the pay level for Region departments.
Finley said they want to work with the department to improve communications with the community and to help provide resources for officers. She said Chief Mike Candiano is making strides in improving communications by releasing monthly arrest and incident statistics. Those have also been eye opening, she said, in that more than half of the crimes committed in the city are being done by outsiders.
Finley said the committee wants to work with all city departments in coming months to see what they need, what obstacles they face and what is needed to get more minorities involved in the city’s committees, boards and commissions.
“We are looking at the city as a whole, starting with the police department. We want to have a seat at the table when it comes to inclusion. At the end of the day, we live here. We want to be another lens to support our community,” said Finley.
Sims agreed, adding raising awareness is an important aspect as they move forward.
“It is more about equality and making sure Portage can be the best community it can be,” he said, adding people of color “shouldn’t have to feel alone in their community.”