Shirley is a graduate of Western Washington University and Seattle University Law School and, after graduation, served as a Washington State Supreme Court Staff Attorney. She was a partner in an Olympia law firm, and served in both attorney positions and executive level administration at the Attorney General’s Office. She retired from the Attorney General’s Office in 2014 after 35 years and was a consultant for other government entities on strategic planning and transition management. She was appointed by the Governor to the Washington State Executive Ethics Board in 2017 and served seven years, including three as Chair. She is currently on the board of the Olympia Arts and Heritage Alliance, serving as Vice President in 2025-26, and she is a trustee of the Governor’s Mansion Foundation.
Shirley is an Olympia native who grew up in the Bigelow neighborhood and has a keen interest in preserving the history of the city, its neighborhoods and the Bigelow House. She served as OHS&BHM Board Secretary from 2014-2017 and as President from 2017-2020.