Shelly Gehshan

Shelly Gehshan's picture

Shelly Gehshan, MPP, PCC may be the only certified leadership coach out there with a policy background. 

Shelly brings to her coaching nearly 30 years of experience as a manager and leader in policy, nonprofit management, philanthropy and advocacy.  While great coaching skills are essential, clients want the credibility that comes with experience.  Her perspective is broad—having worked for both small and large organizations, including a small direct service provider, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, a national public charity with over 1,000 employees.  

People come to Shelly for career and executive coaching because of the unique mix of empathy, role playing, cut-to-the-chase questions, shared knowledge, homework, humor, honest feedback and structured inquiry she provides.  In coaching, half the battle is clarifying intention;  the other half is jumping in with both feet, prepared and eager for the challenges ahead.  She helps clients do both.  One client recently asked her, “Do you work miracles?  I’m desperate.”  Her answer was yes, because clients themselves work miracles.  All they need is a skilled coach supporting them along the way.

Shelly has a passion for making a difference and a track record of helping others succeed.  Mission-driven organizations seek her out for consulting on management training, team building, coaching for their executives, planning and board development.  Shelly is a leadership coach for a number of prestigious policy fellowship programs, where she helps prepare the next generation of leaders to thrive and do great work. 

Currently, chairs the board of directors for her alma mater, the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.  She is also a mentor coach for the leadership coach training programs at American University and Rutgers University.