Shelby Ritter, originally from South Carolina, received her B.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Columbia College (Columbia, SC, 2003) and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Memphis (Memphis, TN, 2005). For over 10 years (2005-2019), she worked with high-risk, underserved children ages birth to five as a speech-language pathologist (West Memphis, AR). She later transitioned to Tennessee, serving children in Arlington Community Schools (2019-2023) before stepping into a leadership role with the Tennessee Department of Education as the Manager of Early Childhood Special Education (2023-2025). She is currently serving as the West Tennessee Regional Administrator for the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) supporting Tennessee’s youngest learners and their families. She is currently an EdD candidate in the Educational Leadership program at University of Tennessee.