For Junior League of Collin County President Shun Thomas, the League’s headquarters isn’t just an office — it’s her “happy place.”
It’s where women connect, train and launch projects that change lives in Collin County.
Thomas’ path to the presidency began long before she lived in Plano. Growing up in South Oak Cliff, she admired the poised, purposeful Junior League members she saw in the community.
“I knew I wanted to be one of them,” she says. “I loved the way they gave back to the community and what they stood for. I saw that in my parents, too — they were very active in the community.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree in mass communications, Thomas began a career in the corporate world and joined the Junior League of Dallas. Less than five years later, she felt a calling to education and transitioned to teaching, starting as a special education teacher at Carpenter Middle School before moving to Weatherford Elementary.
“I wanted to work with elementary school students, and that was such a blessing, because they learned from me as their teacher, but I learned so much from them,” she says. “It softened me up a bit, because I learned not to sweat the small stuff. … I learned that everybody is different and by them being different, they can contribute to this world and make the world a better place.”
She later taught at Barron Elementary before moving into leadership as the special education team leader at Guinn Special Programs Center.
“Those were my babies, too. People think Guinn Special Programs, ‘That’s where all the bad kids go.’ But little did people know, there were kids who were trying to get caught up on credits so they could graduate on time, kids that fell on hard times and fell behind in school,” Thomas says. “It was a joy to work with those teachers across the district to help those students to the finish line.”
Her last position with Plano ISD was as the district’s Section 504 coordinator, guiding educators throughout the district in compliance and student disability services. Today, she serves as an educational specialist at Children’s Health Plano, working with students in the Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) program.
Since she’d been teaching in Plano ISD and her husband had ties to the city, Thomas transferred her membership to the Junior League of Collin County in 2019.
“I came in already a leader, but Junior League taught me how to enhance those skills, how to refine them,” she says. “Something as simple as facilitating a meeting or building an agenda — it’s about doing those things with purpose.”
Over the years, Thomas has served as a committee member, governance director and vice president. Her favorite role? Overseeing the Community Impact Council.
“It gave me the opportunity to lead women who were out in the community making a difference every day,” she says.
Under her leadership, those women organized several community service efforts, including facilitating arts-and-crafts days for children in the eating disorder unit at Children’s Health Plano, helping unhoused families dine with dignity at Community Garden Kitchen and mentoring youth in the Collin County Juvenile Detention Center through the JUMP program.
The League’s reach goes beyond direct service. JLCC facilitates the Collin County Council on Family Violence, bringing together law enforcement, nonprofits and advocates to strengthen resources for survivors. It also distributes grants to nonprofits like Hope’s Door New Beginning Center and City House — many funded by its signature holiday gift market, ’Neath the Wreath.
Since its inception, ’Neath the Wreath has raised more than $5.4 million for the community. This year’s event, held Nov. 6-9 at the Plano Event Center, will mark a milestone.
“This year is our 30th year for ’Neath the Wreath, and it’s going to be something special,” Thomas says. “Not that the other years were not, but the 30th year will be something special. It means a lot to us.”
Thomas stepped into the presidency during a time of rebuilding. Membership numbers had dipped during the pandemic and have not yet returned to pre-2020 levels — but she’s optimistic.
This year, 97 women joined the League, and Thomas says they are “on fire” to work. “They want to get in there and volunteer, to serve our community with fidelity,” she says.
“We’re everywhere,” she says. “In nonprofits, in civic organizations, in arts boards. That’s the goal — to create more leaders who will serve with heart.”
