Shelly first joined the League of Women Voters in 2011 and served as the Voter Service Chair from 2012 to 2014 of the San Jose/Santa Clara League. She helped produce and host a local televised program in San Jose called “League of Women Voters Presents Insights and Perspectives.” She joined the San Francisco League in 2015 and the Solano League in 2017.

Shelly has a B.A. in Politics and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco. In her professional life, she is an active attorney practicing criminal law as a Deputy Public Defender zealously protecting and defending the Constitutional rights of her clients. Prior to her legal career, she taught at an elementary school in San Jose and worked as a mediator for Santa Clara County resolving community disputes.   Aside from binge watching programs on multiple streaming services, Shelly enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking.