# Shalyn Ranellone | Best in Government Affairs NY 2026

> Sha Ranellone has spent nearly a decade as Chief of Staff and Legislative Counsel to Assemblymember John T.

Canonical: https://www.uslege.ai/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/shalyn-ranellone

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[Best in Government Affairs](/best-in-government-affairs)› [New York](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york)› [2026](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york#honorees)› [Top Staffers of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/top-staffers)› **Shalyn Ranellone**

USLege · Best in Government Affairs · New York

New York · 2026 Honoree

![Shalyn Ranellone, Chief of Staff & Legislative Counsel; Committee Clerk, Assembly Governmental Operations Committee at Office of Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, NYS Assembly — winner, Top Staffers of the Year, 2026 Best in Government Affairs New York](/assets/awards/ny-2026/shalyn-ranellone.jpg)

Category

[Top Staffers of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/top-staffers)

Organization

Office of Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, NYS Assembly

Title

Chief of Staff & Legislative Counsel; Committee Clerk, Assembly Governmental Operations Committee

[View LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalynmorrison)

[07 · Top Staffers of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/top-staffers)

# Shalyn Ranellone

**Chief of Staff & Legislative Counsel; Committee Clerk, Assembly Governmental Operations Committee**, Office of Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, NYS Assembly

> almost always the smartest person in the room
> 
> one peer nominator

Sha Ranellone has spent nearly a decade as Chief of Staff and Legislative Counsel to Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, and for the past four years has done double duty as Committee Clerk for the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee, which McDonald chairs — giving her a hand in both constituent-facing work for the 108th District and statewide government-efficiency policy.

Her path to Albany ran through Washington, Central New York and New York City: an internship for then-Senator Joe Biden, advocacy work at the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers association, a stint as Legislative Director for State Senator Daniel Squadron covering lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and campaign and lobbying work before returning to government as Senior Policy Advisor and then Chief of Staff to former Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. That range of experience — city hall, the state Senate, and now the Assembly's Governmental Operations Committee — has made her equally comfortable with granular constituent casework and statewide policy on how government operates.

As one peer nominator wrote, she is "almost always the smartest person in the room," someone who leads with humility and mentors the next generation of Capitol staff while never losing sight of the legislative goal at hand. That mentoring instinct shows up in the details, too — colleagues and her own account both point to a genuine interest in matching people to the right roles, whether that's steering a young staffer toward the job that fits them or helping an office find the right person to fill one. She lives in the Capital Region with her husband, Dan, and their two children.

Same category

## More _Top Staffers of the Year_ honorees.

 [![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/alana-sivin.jpg) **Alana Sivin**New York Assembly Speaker's Office](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/alana-sivin)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/godfre-bayalama.jpg) **Godfre Bayalama**New York State Department of Financial Services ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/godfre-bayalama)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/evan-schneider.jpg) **Evan Schneider**Office of State Senator Jamaal Bailey, NYS Senate ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/evan-schneider)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/mark-kissinger.jpg) **Mark Kissinger**Profile coming soon ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/mark-kissinger)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/mary-anne-dandles.jpg) **Mary-Anne Dandles**NYS Assembly ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/mary-anne-dandles)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/darci-lindgren.jpg) **Darci Lindgren**Office of Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine, NYS Assembly](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/darci-lindgren)

[All New York honorees](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york#honorees) [Top Staffers of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/top-staffers) [The September 16 ceremony](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/ceremony)

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