Shelley Madore: Community Activist

Shelley's long and varied history of voluntarism and community activism has prepared her well to serve the citizens of Apple Valley and Burnsville as their State Representative.

City of Apple Valley Community Activist:

• Urban Affairs Committee Member - 10 years
  This committee oversees the creation, revision, and implementation of city ordinances. It deals with " quality of life" concerns like exotic animal permits, adult entertainment, pawn shop presence and operation, garbage collection, etc. Shelley feels privileged to be part of preserving the quality and livability of our city.
• Apple Valley Fourth of July Parade Committee Member - 3 years
  The assigned task of this Committee is development and implementation of our traditional Independence Day Parade, including our Kiddie Events and Parade - which have become an important and much loved part of our annual festivities. Another committee responsibility is orchestrating event related advertising by way of the community Newsletter. Shelley, along with other committee members has worked with such groups as the Optimists Club and local senior volunteers on this very successful and ever growing project.

ISD #196 Education Advocate:

• ECFE (Early Childhood and Family Education) Advisory Council Member - 3 years
  This hands-on Advisory Council has direct input into staff operating decisions and annual fundraising activities. Involvement on the ECFE Legislative Committee provides an opportunity for contact with area legislators in an effort to promote, protect and expand the benefits and reach of the ECFE, and School Readiness programs.
• Community Education Advisory Council Member - 2 years
  Advisory Council members represent the interests of their respective programs - for Shelley, ECFE - in the process of development of district wide Continuing Education services.
• Marketing and Promotions Committee Member (Community Education) - 5 years
  As a member of this committee, Shelley worked to develop the Community Ed catalog, as well as monitor program costs and consumer service concerns. This often involved meeting with struggling departments, examining and reworking marketing plans, and strategizing to increase public participation. The ISD 196 year round Aquatics program is a product of such an effort.

  The committee also works with focus groups to better define and address the needs of the consumer base - the public- our families. More clearly defined markets can be better served. Among the program components created, improved - and made more efficient and less expensive - as a result of this effort, were the CE user friendly web page, and recently implemented list serves for targeted marketing of programs.

• Special Education Advisory Council Member (SEAC) - 4 years
  As a member of the Communications Committee, Shelley worked extensively on the development and implementation of a list serve to better communicate information to families of special education students. By using technology coordinated with Marketing committee technology, it became possible to virtually eliminate start up expense. Because of her great personal interest in and involvement with special needs children, Shelley remained with the project after implementation, to monitor and improve material distribution and content.

  Shelley is particularly proud of her work with the development of a Parent Manual for families with children in Special Education. She understood that all families with special needs kids, need help "navigating the maze". It is Shelley's observation that "Without clear, concise information, conflict and confusion are inevitable. Often what creates conflict is the lack of information and negotiation power. This manual and the companion website arm parents with information from a variety of sources, and empower them to be a part of their child’s educational team - to advocate more effectively." Shelley continues to monitor and supplement information provided by this now indispensable website.

  As part of the Communications committee, Shelley continues to make herself available as a liaison between outside organizations and service providers on one hand, and staff, parents and special needs kids on the other. Information is often disseminated via meeting minutes made available on the website. She also provides council members with up to the minute information on recreational programs available to children with Autism.

ARC, Great Rivers Branch:

• Parent Advocate and Family Support Facilitator - 5 years
  As a facilitator, Shelley works to bring families together with services, via monthly meetings that highlight city and community support options,as well as family management strategies. These meetings are accomplished with the coordinated support of ARC and ISD #196. Shelley also edits a monthly newsletter that provides information to families on opportunities in the community for education, recreation and support of their special needs children. This Newsletter currently serves approximately 150 families throughout the south metro area.

AUSM, Autism Society of Minnesota:

• Parent Resource - 3 years
  Shelley provides information on support and resources for the south metro for families with children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum.

University of Minnesota:

• Autism Focus Group – 2 years
  Shelley works with researchers, physicians, insurers and other support organizations on program development. She regularly communicates with staff on issues of testing delays, service voids and support deficits. One program enhancement implemented as a direct result of Shelley's participation, is the coding of staff for testing children with Autism. Her goal for her involvement with this group is to insure that Minnesota families with children with autism are informed about and feel empowered to utilize the world class resources available for their children at U. of M.

Boy Scouts of America:

• Chairperson, Pack 1003 - 3 years.
  Shelley is always proud to explain that this special pack is the first in the nation that focuses its efforts on recruiting boys with Asperger’s Syndrome. Indianhead Council, Chief Black Dog District took a chance on Shelley's proposal to bring the values of the BSA to these boys who are normally left out of community programs. The pack charter organization is the Apple Valley Parks and Recreation department. Pack 1003 was recently featured in articles in the Sun Current newspaper, July 24, 2004.

Community Voluntarism and Enrichment:

• Recreation Committee - 3 years
  This committee made up of Community Education members of ISD #196, Park and Recreation Directors from Apple Valley and Eagan, and ARC, works to develop programs specifically for children with cognitive disabilities. In 2004, the committee hosted its first annual "SEEK and Find Recreation Opportunities" event in the South Metro. The event, designed to connect local businesses with local families, was very well attended, and was beneficial to both individual and business participants.
• National Night Out Coordinator - 5 years
  Neighborhood Coordinator, Bob’s Gardenview #2 - 3 years
  Shelley coordinated the effort to bring this now annually anticipated event to her neighborhood. The event is ongoing, well attended, and has served to connect a previously disconnected neighborhood.

Graduate of Partners in Policymaking, Sept 2002 to May 2003:

This course is designed to teach persons with disabilities, and their family members, how to access governmental agencies to affect change in their communities. As a requirement for graduation, a public policy project must be completed. Shelley chose for her project, development of a cost saving way for families to pre-screen their eligibility for services available from the Dakota County Social Services division. This project involved meetings with county staff to evaluate the screening process, education regarding existing procedures, cost analysis, negotiations, and securing the approval of the Dakota County Board of Commissioners. The result was a user friendly, constantly available, website with A) information useful to service users and county staff at all levels, and B) confidential pre-screening capabilities for an initial determination of likely qualification for services.

I35W Solutions Alliance, since July 2004

This is a collaborative transportation alliance of Dakota, Hennepin, and Scott Counties. The cities of Bloomington, Burnsville, Lakeville, Minneapolis, Richfield, and Savage have welcomed Shelley to participate as a citizen representative since July 2004. After the election she has chosen to continue her work with this group as she believes in the value of developing a long-term, fiscally sound transportation plan for Minnesota.

If you would like more information about Shelley's contributions to her community or her qualifications, please contact us. You can also visit Shelley Madore's Community Activist Blog.