His diverse career in the foreign service of the United States has included ambassadorships to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.

Shinn served for 37 years in the United States Foreign Service with assignments at embassies in Lebanon, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritania, Cameroon, Sudan, and as ambassador to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

Shinn is active in several non-governmental organizations focused on the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region.

He serves on the board of directors for Adeso, an NGO founded by the Somali environmentalist Fatima Jibrell.

Additionally, Shinn is on the board of directors of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation.