Shelby Thomas

Shelby works with state and local governments to engage residents, Tribes, organizations, and industries to address environmental challenges in the face of uncertainty and to identify strategies that will better serve their communities and landscapes. She is an experienced project manager, a skilled facilitator, and an exceptional communicator who ensures that work products are high quality and that project engagement approaches are meaningful and relevant.

Her portfolio is grounded in collaborative efforts related to growth and development policy and planning—including innovative and technical exploratory scenario planning work—adaptive management, and clean energy siting. Shelby has a strong grasp of the federal and state regulatory landscape that shapes decision-making, including the NEPA/SEPA environmental review process, and routinely helps governing and advisory groups interpret technical information and apply best available science to inform discussion and decisions.

Shelby brings a distinct systems-thinking lens to every project, complementing her experience with an authentic interest in how human health and wellbeing, equity and environmental justice, and economic opportunity intersect with our need for clean energy transitions, viable working lands, and ecosystem restoration and conservation.

Prior to earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School and joining Ross Strategic in 2019, Shelby was a classroom teacher and a field instructor for Outward Bound for over ten years. When she’s not at work, you may find her biking around town with her 4-year-old, looking for the best croissant in Puget Sound, or combing through the racks at thrift stores.