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Beth Shelton ’01 will be the keynote speaker for Spring Commencement at Simpson College on Saturday, April 27, 2024. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m., in Cowles Fieldhouse.
Shelton has served as CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa since 2015, overseeing all operations for 13,500 members in portions of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. She has produced record revenue and membership growth while also leading a cultural transformation that helped the organization earn designation as one of the Best Workplaces in Iowa.
Regional and national acclaim for Shelton’s innovative work has included coverage from Good Morning America; Yahoo Finance; ABC World News Tonight; SiriusXM; Working Mother Magazine; USA Today; and the Today Show. Shelton has also been highlighted on platforms such as 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes, Women Lead Change Global, Women of Vision, the Groundbreakers Speaker Series, and the Shining Bright podcast.
In 2001, Shelton received her bachelor’s degree in religion and religious studies from Simpson College, where she was also honored with an Alumni Achievement Award in 2018. She earned her MBA at Drake University and has completed the Artificial Intelligence program at MIT. Shelton was named one of the 15 People to Watch by the Des Moines Register in 2020.
A lifelong amputee, Shelton also serves on the board for the Iowa Amputee Golf Association, raising scholarships for families affected by the trauma and impact of limb loss. Her accomplishments in sports include being named MVP of the Simpson tennis team three times. She has also coached youth basketball and softball teams and led her local Girl Scout troop.
Following the ceremony, a reception with light refreshments will be held in the Kent Campus Center atrium. All guests are welcome to attend. There are no tickets required. For additional commencement details, please visit simpson.edu/commencement.