Colonel (retired) Pamela D. Stevenson grew up with her life and community centered around the church her grandfather founded: Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, in the heart of Louisville. The values she learned there—Faith, Family, and Service—called her into a career of service as a J.A.G. attorney in the U.S. Air Force, as the founder of a nonprofit providing free legal services to veterans, as a State Representative, and now as our candidate for Attorney General. In 11 countries, she has proudly represented Kentucky’s values to the world.
She was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from Brown High School, she attended Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (IU) on an Air Force scholarship. In 1981, she graduated from the IU Business School and in 1984, she graduated from the IU Law School and entered active duty.
Throughout her 27-year Air Force career, she provided legal services, mentoring and leadership training. As a senior officer, she successfully led complex administrative divisions and provided global leadership for attorneys, paralegals, administrative staff and military families. She has held the positions of commander, flying squadron adjutant, defense attorney, chief prosecutor, law teacher, appellant court commissioner, general counsel and chief of technology. Colonel (r) Stevenson gained an international perspective on solving community issues from working in 11 countries. Her practice of law included, deployments, experience negotiating in multi-cultural environments, representing the United States with foreign governments, militaries and businesses and developing powerful partnerships in unfamiliar territory.
An inspirational speaker and leadership consultant, Colonel(r) Stevenson is a catalyst for social change. She is actively engaged with many community organizations. She is a member or serves on the boards of Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center (healthcare for the poor), Personal Counseling Services (mental health services for the underserved), Where Opportunity Knox (a Kentucky and Indiana partnership to find employment for veterans), NABVETS (helping veterans transition into local communities), DAV (serving disabled veterans), OneWest (fostering economic development for West Louisville) and the Kentucky Veterans Advisory Board (serving Kentucky’s veterans ).
Colonel(r) Stevenson is the Managing Director of the Stevenson Law Center, a new not-for-profit law firm dedicated to serving middle-income families. She provides services for veterans, the elderly and families.
Colonel(r) Stevenson has been married to her soul mate, Thomas F. Shannon for 33 years. They have two adult children; Tamay, Wellesley ’05, a small business owner in Atlanta, GA and Thomas, Oberlin ’09, who works primarily in China and speaks fluent Mandarin. Her parents Kenneth and Dorothy Stevenson, are lifelong Kentuckians and are the foundation of her success. A quilter, animal lover and bird watcher, she laughs often, while spoiling her dog, rabbit and grand dog.