Boston public relations agency Schneider Assoc. has hired Shawna Sullivan as director of public affairs.

In this capacity, Sullivan will be the strategic lead and campaign manager for the firm’s public affairs programs. Sullivan will also direct the agency’s grassroots social advocacy initiatives, designing social media campaigns to effectively engage with influencers and decision makers online.

Sullivan has planned and executed dozens of strategic communications campaigns for real estate and economic development projects. Shawna successfully spearheaded some of the region’s most prominent permitting campaigns including Westwood Station, Northwest Park, Meadow Walk at Lynnfield and Lexington Technology Park.

Prior to joining Schneider Assoc., Sullivan was a senior project manager with Direct Impact, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes in grassroots campaign strategies for Fortune 500 companies. In this capacity, she worked exclusively with Ford Motor Co. to lead its grassroots, online advocacy and communications campaign on the West Coast.

She also boasts extensive public sector experience, working in the press offices for U.S. Senator Scott Brown and the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Additionally, she has completed fellowships with the Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, the International Rescue Committee and Lamia Afghan Foundation.