Rick Shelby, Of Counsel

Rick Shelby serves as Counsel to CHCG.  An experienced political veteran both on and off the Hill, Mr. Shelby is active in state politics and maintains strong working relationships with the Republican Governors Association, the Republican Attorneys General Association, the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association, and state legislative leaders and moderate Democratic Governors.

Shelby, a native of Oklahoma, began his political career working as the organizational director of the Oklahoma Republican Party and went on to serve as the Executive Director of the State Party and director of field operations for former United States Senator Dewey Bartlett.  In 1977 he was elected State Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party.  Shelby left the chairmanship of the Party in 1979 to become one of the original regional political directors for the Reagan for President Committee, coordinating a nine state area including the strategically important state of Texas.  Following the election of President Reagan, Shelby served on the White House staff as Deputy Director of White House Personnel.  In 1982 Shelby served as the National Campaign Director for the Republican National Committee.  He subsequently served as the Interim Convention Manager of the 1984 Republican National Convention as well as Regional Campaign Director for the Reagan Re-Election Committee, and then formed his own company the following year focused on campaign consulting, governmental affairs and corporate grassroots advocacy work.

In the 1990 election cycle Shelby served as Political Director of the National Senatorial Republican Committee.  Past political clients with whom Shelby has worked include U.S. Senator Don Nickles, U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, Congressman Jim McCrery, Congressman Ed Whitfield, Congressman Bob Barr, Congressman Bill Emerson, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson and Congressman Jack Buechner.

Shelby and his wife Penny have three children and live in McLean, Virginia.  He was a captain in the United States Marine Corps and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Student Loan Marketing Association (SALLIE MAE), the Private Enterprise Foundation, and U.S. English.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of BIPAC, American Council for Capital Formation, Canadian American Business Council, GOPAC, and AgAMERICA.