With more than 24 years experience in campaign management, program management and overseeing corporate initiatives and sponsorships, Dr. Shelva Clemons is a skilled communications and marketing professional with experience in building relationships to create communication tactics and marketing materials. Her tenure within the private sector as well as the nonprofit world exposed her to building strategies, executing social cause campaigns and managing relationships with government entities and advertising/public relations agencies.
In her roles within Corporate America, Shelva has served as a marketing and communications professional within the following industries; automotive, financial management, insurance, museum/hospitality and housing finance industries. Over the years she has collaborated with PR and media agencies to highlight executive leadership messaging as well as developing content for various communication vehicles such as radio advertisements, social media platforms and web page copy. Shelva also has oversaw the development of consumer-facing marketing materials; including messaging, design layout and logistics with vendor for production and distribution. In her many years as a marketing professional, Shelva has also experienced non-profit organizations with an emphasis on early childhood development and the arts.
Shelva’s professional experience also includes private consulting for non-profits, entrepreneurs and small business owners through her own company, Lawyer’s Legacy, LLC. Over the years, she has developed several transferrable skills within marketing, communications and community relations that benefits organizations with marketing strategies to build out their own businesses and professional relationships. As she continues her professional career within Corporate America, Shelva uses Lawyer’s Legacy as an outlet to support other entrepreneurs with branding and communications.
To diversify her experiences even further, Shelva began her teaching career as a guest lecturer at Morgan State University and since then has been a part of faculty at Georgetown University, Prince George’s Community College, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University and Morehouse College. Her courses range from undergraduate to Executive MBA and graduate school marketing and communication classes. With students from local community colleges to international students from China, Shelva has taught Strategic Business Communications and Marketing Management & Strategy to Public Relations Techniques.
Staying closely connected to nonprofit organizations, Shelva served on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland as well as the National Children’s Center in Washington, D.C. She currently resides on the board for Shine2Inspire, Atlanta, Georgia. Her involvement with these organizations not only includes volunteering and fundraising, but also consulting on communication deliverables to stakeholders, employees and potential donors. Shelva’s board service combined now reaches more than six years of her professional career.
Shelva has a Bachelor in Business Administration from Howard University with a concentration in Marketing. As a graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s Master’s program in Communications, her focus was Public Relations. In 2015, Dr. Shelva Clemons completed her Doctorate of Philosophy from Howard University with a focus on Communication, Culture & Media Studies.
“As her student, I benefited from Shelva sharing her experiences in the field of communications and multicultural marketing. I appreciate women such as her who invest in others to build diversity and inclusion in this industry.”
-Jasmine Brown; Graduate of Georgetown University
“I've had the privilege of guiding and mentoring Shelva as she developed her strategic communications and marketing skills. She is smart, highly respected by her colleagues, and a fast learner who can quickly adapt to rapidly changing priorities without missing a beat. With Shelva's many skills, a refreshing can-do attitude, and an ability to take on tough assignments that produce great outcomes, she is an asset to any team, and she will go far in her career.”
-Debbie Pickford; Invest, Executive Director