For more than 22 years, Shawn Prievo has been serving Madison County, building a career that has taken him from the Public Health Department to his current role as Deputy Director of Human Resources. Along the way, he has developed a wealth of experience in labor relations, investigations, disciplinary processes, and, of course, civil service.

Shawn grew up in Carthage in Jefferson County before attending college in Cazenovia. After starting a family, he returned to school and earned his Master’s in Public Administration from Marist College. But perhaps what makes that accomplishment most meaningful is what was happening at home while he pursued it. Shawn was balancing graduate school, his career, and raising two young daughters, then just three and five years old.

“The achievement I am most proud of was going back to school and obtaining my Masters while helping raise a 3 and 5 year old at home,” Shawn shared. “Juggling both school work, my job and being a father of two little girls was at times, trying to say the least.”

That experience seems to have shaped more than just Shawn’s résumé. Over the course of his career, he has learned a lesson that applies both inside and outside the workplace: even when a situation seems overwhelming, there is usually a way forward.

“The most valuable skill that I have gained along the way is realizing that everything has a solution and there is a way to get through anything,” he said. “Take a step back, ask for help and breathe, you will get through it.”

It is advice Shawn also offers to those beginning their careers in civil service. His message is simple: be willing to adapt, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to lean on the people around you. He points to the support available not only within individual HR offices, but throughout the NYSAPCSO community, where chances are good that someone has already faced the challenge you’re facing today.

Outside of work, Shawn’s years have been filled with another kind of service: 17 consecutive years coaching girls’ softball. He spent those years coaching both high school and travel teams and traveling across the country with his daughters. Now that his daughters are grown, he has traded the softball diamond for the golf course whenever he can—and continues to make the most of life in between those long, cold snowy winters.

Shawn and his wife, his college sweetheart of 24 years, are already looking toward the next chapter. As he puts it, they are counting down the days until “the southern sun touches our faces each morning in retirement.”

Whether he’s helping navigate a difficult workplace situation, supporting a colleague, chasing a golf ball, or simply enjoying time with his family, Shawn Prievo’s story reflects the value of perspective, perseverance, and community. After more than two decades of public service, his advice remains refreshingly straightforward: take a step back, ask for help, breathe, and keep moving forward.

NYSAPCSO is proud to spotlight Shawn Prievo and recognize the experience, dedication, and perspective he brings to the public service community.