Shawn Arner is a graduate of Virginia Tech, having received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1991. He has been with Telecommunications Program of the Rural Utilities Service for over 30 years and has served in his current capacity as the Deputy Assistant Administrator since 2014. Shawn has held various positions within the agency, including Director of the Southern Division, Deputy Director of the Northern Division, Chief of the Northern Division Engineering Branch, as well as Senior Engineer in the Outside Plant Branch of the Telecommunications Standards Division.