From 2014 through 2018 Shelley was a City Council Member for Cathedral City. He was elected to the Council in November of 2014 while serving on the Cathedral City Planning Commission. Since being on Council he was the on the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) – Energy and Environment Committee, Conservation Commission, and Personnel Committee and alternate Board member on the Transportation Committee. He also served on the Coachella Valley Vector Control Board and was Treasurer from 2015-2017 and President of the Board in 2018. In addition, Shelley was Chair of the newly formed JPA Desert Community Energy Board – Community Choice Aggregation in 2018. He also served on the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy from 2014 through 2018 and was Chair of the Conservancy Board in 2018. He was Chair of the Cathedral City Senior Center in 2015 and 2016 and Treasurer of their Board from 2016 through 2018 and rejoined the Board in 2022. Finally, he was an alternate Board member for the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Sunline Transportation Authority Board as well as Chair of their Budget and Finance Committee and Operations Committee.
Shelley has had 45 years of experience as a higher education administrator at select private institutions including Boston University, Brandeis University and Babson College. For 13 years Shelley was Vice President of Facilities Management and Planning at Babson College in Wellesley Massachusetts, Babson College has been the number one ranked entrepreneurial business college in the country for over 25 years. Shelley was responsible for campus operations, specifically related to facilities management, campus planning and construction. As former Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration at Brandeis University, Shelley managed and administered the fiscal budget for the University. He also was responsible for non-academic functions of the University for 13 years as Vice President for Administrative Affairs. Responsible for campus planning with 14 departments reporting to him, he has managed over $750 million in new construction and renovation projects over the years, including a 130,000 sq. ft. athletic complex, a collaborative research facility, a campus conference center, multiple dining facilities, an executive education center, and numerous new and renovated residence halls. This multidimensional experience coupled with his commitment to strategic planning and team collaboration led to his success in project planning, implementation, and management. He has demonstrated a unique ability to facilitate the collective efforts of various departments throughout the building process.
Shelley has been a member of various professional organizations including: the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP), the International Facilities Managers Association (IFMA), The Association of Higher Education Facilities Administrators (APPA), The Green Building Council (GBC), The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), The Boston Consortium (TBC), The Building Owners Managers Association (BOMA), The Boston Society of Architects (BSA), the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium.
In addition, from 1998 through 2012, Shelley was a member of the Board of Directors of Rogerson Communities, a non-profit organization founded in 1864 dedicated to providing housing for low and moderate income elderly in the Boston area. The organization provides housing and adult-day care facilities for over 1,500 individuals in 18 facilities. During his tenure, Shelley was Treasurer for six years and Chair of the Board for two years.
Originally from Rochester New York, Shelley was a 40 year resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts before moving to Cathedral City, California in 2013.
