About the Playground Princess:

Confessions of the Playground Princess is a how to and help blog. After creating and developing the first fully inclusive playground in the state of Maryland and helping countless communities around the country do the same, I thought I would take the opportunity and expand my horizons with a “how to” blog for what I will call “building a dream one playground at a time.” I blog about everything it will take to make this dream come true. The Park and Recreation Associations, playground manufactures, raising funds from private and public partnerships. I am a Washingtonian and live in the DC metro area with my husband and 2 wonderful daughters who inspired me to dream and create the first playground.

The Day Job: In addition to being the Playground Princess, and SAHM Shelley’s family owns Center Pet Pharmacy where she has been known to work from the “behind scenes.”

Hire Shelley: As an expert and social entrepreneur, in the playground industry Shelley’s work has led to several speaking engagements and therefore available for guest speaking to your group on such topics as:
· Taking Lemons and Making Lemonade
· Building a Dream- Her Journey of Creating Hadley’s Park, Inc.
· Creative and effective ways to Raise Funds

Praises of the Princesses:
· The Adelphian-1998 Cover story
· University of Maryland Alumni Magazine-Fall 1999
· Landscape Architecture and Specified News Magazine-March 2000
· Today’s Playground Magazine-March 2001
· Washingtonian Magazine- Washingtonian of the Year 2005
· Exceptional Parent Magazine- Maxwell J. Schiffer Award 2005
· American Society of Landscape Architect's, Maryland Chapter, Presidents Award, December, 1999
· Montgomery County Parks Foundation, Inc., Honor Award Hadley's Park, January 2000
· WETA- Hometown Heroes, 1999
· JFGH- S. Robert Cohen Award 2003
· Featured on NBC’s “The TODAY Show” June 2004

The other side of a Princess: I write a personal blog to give some insight into the lives of a special needs family. About our triumphs and fears and what we have gone through together in the past 21 years. http://iamstillstandingafterallthistime.blogspot.com I am a writer, social entrepreneur, special needs advocate, point-and-shoot photographer, web-surfer, gardener, cook, and book reader. I created my first website in 1995 as part of the creation of Hadley’s Park. Now I blog and am currently writing a book.

Need a guest speaker? Want to talk playgrounds and how you can bring an inclusive playground to your community. Drop me a line. the1playgroundprincess@gmail.com