March 31, 2008
Pam Shack
Pam came to Tucson from Connecticut in 1964, when her husband accepted an appointment at the UofA to participate in the start of the Optical Sciences Department, now the highly-acclaimed College of Optical Sciences.
In 1965, Pam was offered a part-time position as an optical designer for Kitt Peak National Observatory (now NOAO), a position she held for six years. In 1972, after the birth of their fourth child, Pam rekindled a long-standing interest in handweaving, began a small business working from home, and co-founded the Tucson Handweavers and Spinners Guild.
Pam become involved in politics managing two TUSD School Board campaigns for Eva Bacal, who was elected in 1976. She volunteered full time for Citizens Against the Recall. The following year, she served on the Pima Association of Governments’ Citizens Committee, working on drainage projects.
Politics took a back seat when Pam returned to school to obtain a Masters of Library Science from the UofA. Positions as Information Specialist/Staff Scientist with Science Applications International Corporation, followed by Director of Operations of the Tucson AIDS Project and, finally, Co-Associate Director of Distance Learning at the UofA rounded out Pam’s professional career.
Pam believes it is, “absolutely essential for Gabrielle Giffords to continue in Congress.” Pam supported Gabrielle in the first election, but did not volunteer. This time around, “I felt that [Gabrielle] was going to have strong opposition in this campaign and although I had vowed I was never going back into politics, I knew it was important she get reelected, so I decided to volunteer,” she said.
“I’m impressed with the way Gabrielle has taken her extraordinary talent for entrepreneurship and so successfully combined it with her overwhelming desire to serve the people,” commented Pam. “I’m absolutely amazed at what she has accomplished in her year-and-a-half in office, and I’m enormously proud she’s my congresswoman.”
Pam’s interests include photography, handweaving, archaeology, music, dance, and theater. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Rogue Theatre. She enjoys spending time with her family, including her young grandsons and her lively and witty 100-year old mother.
