Prior to joining Persist Nashville, Shelby co-lead Tennessee SCORE’s postsecondary portfolio with a focus on strategic practice and innovative solutions aimed at driving college completion and workforce preparation. Shelby relies on his experience building state and national relationships to drive data-driven and evidence-based approaches to close gaps in education relating to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Prior to joining SCORE in 2022, he served in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Student Success at Georgia State University as a Project Director and University Innovation Alliance fellow. While at Georgia State, Shelby served on the strategy team that launched the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) – a program aimed at eliminating opportunity gaps and improving college completion rates for all students. Shelby's strong research-based focus on college-to-workforce initiatives developed through his early work at the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research and while serving in the Office of the President at Tennessee State University.