Welcome to the Team, Shelby! 💜

We’re excited to introduce one of the newer members of our Bringing Families Together family—Shelby Howard, who joined our Case Management Team in June 2025 as a Family Service Worker!

Shelby came to BFT with 20 years of experience in social services, including leadership roles supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, work with children and youth in residential care, and service with the Tennessee Children’s Division.

His extensive background has given him both the skills and the heart to walk alongside families as they work toward better futures together. You can read more about Shelby’s professional journey on our Team page.

When we asked Shelby about his favorite part of working at BFT so far, he shared:

“The team aspect of everyone that I have encountered so far. This bodes well for the culture of the company as it shows that everyone has bought in to the mission and work very well at meeting the needs of all of those that are involved.”

Shelby is also one of the men we featured in our recent blog post, The Men of BFT: The Power of Male Role Models in Foster Care. In that piece, we highlighted the importance of male role models in the lives of children and families—and Shelby was a perfect example. With his big smile, warm personality, and love for helping families get back on track, he’s already making a difference.

And if you’re wondering who to call for our next staff cookout—Shelby’s the guy! Before his career in social services, he spent about ten years as a grill master at a BBQ restaurant in Tennessee. Now, in addition to being a strong advocate for families, he’s also a go-to for BBQ tips.

💜 Shelby, thank you for bringing your experience, positivity and passion to our BFT team We’re so glad you’re here!