Shelli Gordon is a dedicated advocate for Veterans and their families, drawing on a lifetime of service, resilience, and community involvement. A Veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, she served six years as an avionics craftsman, maintaining communication and navigation systems on the C-5 Galaxy. Her military experience led to a career in aviation as an avionics and weapons specialist, supporting both U.S. and Dutch Apache training units at Fort Hood, Texas.

Before her aviation career, Shelli served Army communities as a child care provider in Georgia and Germany, while actively participating in Family Readiness Groups to support military families and strengthen community connections. Her commitment to service has always centered on caring for others.

Raised on a small farm in Missouri, she carries strong rural values of hard work and perseverance into every aspect of her life. She met her husband, Lonny, in 1992 while stationed in Hanau, Germany, and after years of crossing paths, they married in 2009. Together, they built a life rooted in family and purpose, creating a 180-acre farm in Macks Creek, Missouri. They are a blended family with three grown children.

Becoming a caregiver to her husband as he navigated deployment-related challenges has been one of the most meaningful and demanding roles of her life. Through WQW, Shelli discovered the importance of self-care for caregivers and now advocates that others seek support so they can continue to show up for their Veterans.

Her passion for giving back is reflected in her volunteer work, including serving Thanksgiving meals to VA inpatients through the American Legion and creating quilts for hospice patients and Quilts of Valor for Veterans with her local quilt guild. WQW allows her meaningful ways to support Veterans—both as a “mom” and a companion.

In her free time, Shelli enjoys life outdoors on the farm, spending time with Lonny and their animals, hiking, hunting, and gardening.