Shanna Moakler is doing her best dainty beauty queen "goodbye" wave to California ... and taking her talents to The Silver State ... to take a new gig with the Miss Nevada USA organization.
Shanna has been a MAJOR factor behind the scenes with the Miss California pageant -- and was credited with helping Miss California USA Alyssa Campanella take the Miss USA title in 2011.
But sources tell us she's looking for a new challenge and feels Nevada is the perfect fit.
We're told Shanna is looking forward to taking Nevada's competition "to the next level" -- hoping to deliver a Miss USA to a state that has NEVER had one before.
