Shalonda Drayton has been a member of the METC team since 2022. She has served as a Program Assistant for DORS; specifically handling Mandatory training for Individual Providers in Illinois. In November 2023 Shalonda was promoted to Senior Program Assistant on the DORS team. She enjoys ensuring the participants meet the state’s requirements to stay in compliance. Shalonda has worked on various projects and initiatives. Her favorite project is the cross-local Mental Health Initiative that was launched in June of 2023 because the sessions in this series offer an array of topics and coping mechanisms to help relieve the pressures of everyday life situations. One of the best parts about working with METC is brainstorming with our team to provide engaging, innovative training that supports the people we serve.

Shalonda comes from a legacy of leadership in the labor movement. Her father and grandfather were both union leads and trainers in the Coke Plant at US Steel in Northwest Indiana and her mother is a current VP of SEIU HCIIMK and Union Lead for The Methodist Hospital’s in Indiana. Watching firsthand the integral roles of her family grew her heart of service. Shalonda has a passion and strong belief in helping where there is a need and educating the community. She spends numerous volunteer hours with various organizations, on political campaigns, and still serves as Board Secretary at the primary school her children graduated from. Shalonda stays in Northwest Indiana and enjoys spending time with her children, grand pup, family and special friends.