Commander Shaw was born in Glendive, Montana in August of 1960. As the son of a career Air Force enlisted man, his family relocated frequently. After high school, he left for college where he joined the Navy under the Nuclear Power Officer Candidate Program (NUPOC). Upon graduation, he entered the nuclear training pipeline. 

He served aboard the USS SKATE (SSN 578), USS SARGO (SSN 583), USS ALABAMA (SSBN 731 Gold Crew) and USS TUCSON (SSN 770) nuclear submarines throughout his 22-year career. His shore assignments include two tours with Navy Recruiting Command, United States Strategic Command, and United States Pacific Fleet. His final tour of duty was as the Commanding Officer of Navy Recruiting District, New Orleans. 

After retiring from Naval service, CDR Shaw accepted the position of Senior Naval Science Instructor at Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona. His unit received its first Unit Achievement Award and then its first Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors Award the following year. He was selected as the Area Eleven representative to the Curriculum Committee and as a guest instructor for the New Instructor Orientation Training (NIOT) during this time. After three years in Arizona, he accepted the Senior Naval Science Instructor position at Cross Creek High School in Augusta, Georgia. During his fourteen years, he continued to serve as a guest instructor at NIOT and coached rifle and academics. His unit consistently earned Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors and his teams routinely qualified for the Area Championships. His marksmanship team won five Area TWELVE titles and competed at the Navy National Championships for marksmanship for ten consecutive years. He retired in September 2020. In December 2020, CDR Shaw accepted an appointment as the NJROTC Area TWELVE manager, overseeing 60 units throughout Georgia and Northeast Florida. 

CDR Shaw earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics from Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a certified Navy Nuclear Engineer. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two Gold Stars), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two Gold Stars) and various unit and sea service-related awards. CDR Shaw married the former Laurie Ann Eck of Ellendale, North Dakota in December 1986 and has three children of which two were international adoptions. CDR and Mrs. Shaw currently reside in Green Cove Springs, Florida.