Administrative Supervisor, Columbia Insurance Group – Age: 32

After attending Palomar College and Central Texas College in Camp Pendleton, Ca., and Strayer University in Arlington, Va., Columbia native Shelly DeVore returned to make the community her home. She briefly served as an underwriting service assistant for State Farm Insurance in 1998 and then joined Columbia Insurance Group in 2000 as a policy services supervisor.
DeVore and her husband of nearly 15 years, Gene, have two children, Camryn, 5, and Carter, 1. The DeVores are season-ticket holders for MU Tiger football and members of the Mizzou Basketball Club. They are also very involved in the Missouri United Methodist Church, where Shelly and Gene teach the pre-kindergarten Sunday school class.
In her free time, DeVore enjoys reading, the ocean, beaches, warm weather, photography, traveling and spending time with friends and family. She is also a proponent of encouraging community involvement among her peers and fellow citizens.
“It can be difficult finding ways to improve a community as diverse and eclectic as Columbia,” said DeVore. “However, I believe that working to get more people involved through volunteering will always enhance our community.”
DeVore is involved in several community organizations, including Leadership Columbia, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Board for Early Childhood Education, the Women’s Network and the Central Missouri Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society. In recent years she has worked on fund-raising efforts for the United Way and Columbia College’s Capital Campaign. She also serves at Columbia Insurance Group’s Partners in Education coordinator with Mill Creek Elementary School to promote a positive relationship between the business community and the school.
“The community visioning project is an outstanding effort for us to help decide what Columbia should be when she grows up,” said DeVore. “Focusing on early childhood educational opportunities and making them available to everyone will make Columbia even stronger in the future.”