Reverend Shelley D. Best is a Connecticut Yankee, human rights activist, liberation theologian and social entrepreneur with over 20 years experience working in the nonprofit and business sector with a mission to help organizations and communities develop strategic alliances for sustainable change.
As an innovative community development consultant and practitioner, Rev. Best serves as Founding Director of Faith- BasedCoach.org and President and CEO of The Conference of Churches as well as director of the Connecticut and Hartford Offices of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She earned a national reputation through her launch of FaithWorks Community Development Leadership Institute, which expanded the capacity of 40 nonprofit organizations across the US.
Rev. Best has published works on cultural competence, hosts radio and TV shows, and acted as spokesperson for Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families. Rev. Best has a Master of Arts in Religious Leadership from Hartford Seminary; a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University and is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Hartford Seminary.