During the 2024 Canada Region Conference, Joe Shea was received a special presentation for his 50 years of volunteering within Little League Baseball and Softball.
Mr. Shea has played a key role in the development of baseball and softball across Canada. His commitment to Little League has been unwavering, and his contributions have helped shape the program into what it is today.
His more than 50 years of experience volunteering with Little League Baseball and Softball, includes time as president of Little League Canada and three decades of service on the Little League International Board of Directors.
A Toronto-native, Mr. Shea attended college at Penn State University where he began his Little League career as a coach for a local team in State College, Pa., in 1955. After graduating with a degree in petroleum
engineering in 1958, he moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1959 where he continued his commitment to Little League as a coach and local volunteer with the Hardisty Little League.
In 1964, Mr. Shea moved to Calgary where he was later elected as a District Administrator in 1971. Just one year later, he officially joined the Little League organization as the founding director of Little League Canada.
Mr. Shea’s historic development of the league continued in 2001 as he welcomed Little League volunteers from around the world to Canada’s capital city of Ottawa for the 22nd Little League International Congress, the first Congress to be conducted outside of the United States. While serving as the Congress chairman, Mr. Shea was recognized for his hard work and dedication to the organization as he was presented the Peter J. McGovern Distinguished Service Award during the Little League Baseball World Series later that year.
In November 2005, Mr. Shea formally retired from the Little League International Board of Directors after three decades of service where he worked with former Little League International Presidents Peter J. McGovern and Dr. Creighton J. Hale, as well as current Little League President and CEO Stephen D. Keener. While no longer a member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Shea continued to work as the Little League Canada Regional Director up to his retirement in 2019. Joe continues work with Little League Canada in his new role as Canada Region Director Emeritus