Shirley de Vries earned her bachelor degree with honors in Management Information Services from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Born in Suriname South America, Shirley has a multi-cultural and multi-lingual background.

She has over twenty years of business experience in various industries, including the financial industry with Marshall & Ilsley (M&I) bank, Johnson Controls industrial controls and battery division, General Electric Medical Systems and Client Business Services, and Lee County Electric utilities. Shirley received management as well as global leadership awards with General Electric and was elected into and a graduate of a two year GE global Experienced Information Management Program (EIMP). The later dealt with business challenges such as Euro, Dual Accounting and Multi Currency global assessments and transitions. Additionally she has extensive experience in Six Sigma Quality and business process improvement leadership and is currently associated with Baseblock Software LLC.

Outside her business career Shirley has been involved with various children’s causes not only as a past board of director of the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum & Aquarium but also as a volunteer leader in the ABC/NBC Kid’s fest, Habitat for Humanity and United Way. Currently Shirley is involved with organizations such as the SWFL ITT Technical Institute as part of their program advisory council, Literacy Volunteers of Lee County and continues to serve the SWFL community as a RMHC board member and current chair for the grants committee.