Michele Lawlis Shelton, CDP, CPC is founding CEO and Principal Consultant of Shelton Holdings LLC, a management consulting firm based in Louisville, KY. As an international speaker, author, executive coach and thought leader on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Michele guides courageous organizational leaders beyond barriers that impede DEI success. As a performance consultant, she is on a mission to support communities and organizations committed to investing in the creation of inclusive and equitable cultures that acknowledge, affirm and add value to the total experience of every person under their influence.
Over the last twenty years, Michele's career in pursuit of justice and equality for others included stages where she has personally seen, suffered, and survived the impact of poor leadership and toxic work cultures. To that end, she remains unapologetically committed to empowering others to join her in confronting and conquering the -ism's that impact our humanity and the bottom line at work and beyond...
Michele has been featured in Who's Who Publications, The Louisville Defender, Courier-Journal, Today's Woman Magazine, radio and television outlets. An alumna of the University of Louisville and Louisville Seminary, she is a member of the National Speakers Association, Society for Human Resource Management, National Association for Female Executives, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Leadership Louisville, and holds several certifications for diversity, leadership training, and coaching.
Michele serves on boards promoting equal opportunity in education, employment and entrepreneurship. Currently, she is a member of the advisory board for Talenya, Ltd., board of directors for the Global Economic Diversity Development Initiative (GEDDI), and Dean's Council for the University of Louisville College of Arts & Sciences. A contributing author to three international anthologies, Michele is currently working on her fourth and solo title, The Simplicity of Diversity. She remains available on an international basis to keynote, coach & consult.
Photo by Jamie Rhodes
Acknowledgments
Celebrating over 20 Years @ Work & Beyond...
In addition to the contributions of her professional career, Michele felt a calling to further support women and single mothers with overcoming adversity to achieve their spiritual, personal, and professional goals through the display of Divine Insight & Vision in Action. Since 2001 she has been a mentor and coach, keynote speaker, and retreat facilitator for community groups, churches, and organizations including, but not limited to, Kentucky Association for Women in Colleges, Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges (Louisville, Lexington, and Owensboro), Salvation Army, YMCA, and many others. Grateful and equipped by her own journey, Michele continues to dedicate her voice to the advancement of women through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.
"I realized that I am worth so much more, and once I can fully do that, I will never question my worth as a woman/mother. Also, I understand that I can not just run from a problem. I have to make changes for the future, even though it is much easier right then to ignore it."
"Michele was able to help me put some things in my life into a bit of a different perspective...or at least get me to see that I need to be more open to others. I came away from this seminar with a different mindset about single parenthood and striving to reach the goals in my life."
Ready to Work / Work & Learn
Spring Break Retreat
Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC)
Source: RTW/WTL Newsletter, April 2008
