Shelley Gay Yuhas, a Lowcountry native, has always highly valued her heritage being born and raised in Beaufort, SC. She grew up enjoying the creeks and rivers of Battery Creek, the shores of Hunting Island, and community values that make Beaufort so special.
The values instilled in her in Beaufort have led her to being a dedicated Community Advocate with a heart for promoting honor, integrity, and neighbors helping neighbors.
Shelley’s experience as a Business Executive for over 30 years has positioned her to empower and develop those around her. Service has always been a core value within Shelley’s life, dedicated wife, mom of four and ministry leader.
Her upbringing, experience, and heart for people set Shelley apart as the perfect representative for the community that made her who she is today.
Born and raised in Beaufort, SC, Shelley branched out to live in Charleston, SC for 31 years, though her heart has always remained for Beaufort. While in Charleston, Shelley and her husband raised four children, now grown, married, and they have five grandchildren. In 2022, they moved back to their hometown and now reside on Fripp Island, SC.
A Beaufort High graduate, class of 1979, Shelley attended USC-Beaufort and graduated from the University of South Carolina-Columbia with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Business. Professionally, she has always been an advocate for small business owners and smart development, which will bring jobs to the rural areas of South Carolina. She started her first business in 1980 and after college worked at a regional utility company in their IT department. She established and managed a medical/vocational case management company in the role of CFO, The Directions Group, Inc., where she served for 25 years. She retired as CFO from InQuis Global, LLC, an expert witness firm, in June 2023.
While a resident of the greater Charleston area, Shelley served the community for over 25 years with a focus on governance. Using her strong principled base, she is known for collaborating with other leaders to find creative solutions to the issues that many families face. Her most recent volunteer position was as the Board Chair of the Lowcountry Food Bank. Serving on the board from 2015 - 2021, Mrs. Yuhas served as chair for over three years, including during the Covid-19 outbreak. The LCFB serves the 10 Coastal Counties of South Carolina to address food insecurity and is part of the Feeding America network.
Shelley also helped start a school in 2010, Crown Leadership Academy, which uses Project Based Learning (PBL) and served as its Board Chair from 2010 – 2018. The school has won the Best Private School in Charleston award the past two years and is about to launch its third campus.
She attends St. Helena’s Church at Fripp Island, is actively serving her community, and has served in various roles such as elder, vestry member and women’s ministry leader.
