Managing Director of Operations, Social Media, PR & Gran Fondo Bio: Shelly grew up outside of Erie, PA in the small town of Girard. She has been an athlete since she was young. Shelly was a competitive swimmer from age 6 to 16, qualifying for the PA State Games. She then completed training and became a lifeguard and a Water Swim Instructor for the American Red Cross, teaching children to swim. Shelly was on the women's varsity soccer team and the only female on the men's tennis teams in high school. She was accepted into Kent State University and graduated with a BA in PR and Communications. After college, Shelly moved to downtown Cleveland and fell in love with the city. She is currently the Director of Research at an executive research and recruiting services firm in Cleveland. Shelly began cycling in 2014 when she registered for the Pan Ohio Hope Ride (POHR), after losing a dear family member to cancer. The ride is 326 miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati. When she signed up for this ride, she did not own a road bike and was scared to ride on the road. In the months leading up to this ride, she was lucky enough to meet Robert “Polo” Fernendez at a fitness class. Shelly explained her goal to ride POHR, and Robert agreed to help. He trained her by making her ride up every hill in the Cuyahoga Valley several times, and in just three months, she was prepared, actually overly prepared. Shelly completed the POHR 326 miles and loved it so much, she did it the next two years, with Robert and friends. Shelly fell in love with cycling and has been riding ever since. Shelly rides with Robert and the team during training rides around Greater Cleveland to maintain her fitness. When not riding, she will be found at yoga class, visiting her parents in PA, hiking in the CLE Metroparks, walking her dog, being a foodie and working on elevating CCA on a non-stop daily basis. Role: Shelly wears multiple hats and is working behind the scenes to keep this program organized and running smoothly from an operational standpoint. Shelly’s responsibilities include:
- Gran Fondo Event Director - Manages and maintains CCA website with the help of our amazing web developer Giovanna - Manages CCA social media accounts and strategy - Designs marketing materials- Collaborates on creating and executing fundraisers- Collaborates with sponsors, partnerships and donors- Organizes team travel and lodging logistics for race season- Collaborates on kit designs for CCA Supporter Store - Manages CCA Merch- Travels with team and manages race day set-up and operations - Created CCA internal organizational documents such as Strategic Plan, Bylaws, Policies & Protocols, etc.- Obtained 501(c)(3) status and implements responsible non-profit practices
