Tom Shanahan serves as chief legal officer for UNC Health. He previously served as system vice president and deputy general counsel for UNC Health and as acting chief administrative officer for UNC-Chapel Hill during 2021 and 2022.
Prior to joining UNC Health, Tom served as senior vice president for Legal, Risk, and Compliance and general counsel for the 17-campus UNC System, where he advised the System president and Board of Governors and oversaw systemwide functions in audit, risk management, compliance, and campus safety and emergency operations. His UNC System practice included work on health affairs matters involving UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine, as well as the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and its clinical partner, now known as ECU Health.
Tom joined the UNC System from the U.S. Department of Labor, where he served in various leadership positions, including deputy regional director in the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Tom is an adjunct professor at the UNC School of Law, where he teaches higher education law. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in human development from Cornell University.