Throughout her career, Shirley Sagawa has worked to turn good ideas into lasting change.

As a White House official, she drafted the legislation that created AmeriCorps and helped launch the agency as its first managing director. She served in Senate-confirmed roles under three Presidents (from both parties), championing programs that expand national service and social innovation. She led two national nonprofits, served on the staff and board of the National Women’s Law Center, and advised leading organizations and foundations.

Writing has been a throughline in her work. She is the author of three nonfiction books—The American Way to Change, The Charismatic Organization, and Common Interest, Common Good—and countless reports, articles, and op-eds.

In 2022, she turned her attention to fiction. She and her husband, Greg Baer, divide their time between Washington, D.C., and South Carolina. When not writing, she enjoys traveling, sports, collage, Mahjong, and spending time with her three grown sons.