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Meet Our Executive Director

Shirley Wright has been Executive Director of Boys and Girls Country since 1995.

Shirley grew up in rural middle Tennessee.  Early in life she recognized the many blessings she had been given, especially with her close, loving family. Shirley became a Christian at age 11 and that decision led her to set a goal to attend Belmont College and become a social worker.  She wanted to work with children to ‘give back’ some of what she had received.

After graduation from Belmont, Shirley worked as a caseworker for foster and adoptive children and their families with the Department of Public Welfare in Nashville. That experience gave her a quest to know more, and she attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Masters in Social Work. Immediately after graduation she began her career in residential care, working as a child care worker, social worker, and then Director of Social Services for two children's homes. In all these roles she developed an appreciation for the benefits of the residential milieu, and the positive changes residential living could make for children.  She also adopted a teenager, Billy, who had lived in one of the facilities; he taught her more about what children needed from all types of family settings.

As Executive Director for 12 years in another state, Shirley was responsible for three residential treatment programs, two Montessori preschools, a Big Brother Big Sister program, Family Counseling Center, Florence Crittenton maternity shelter, a teenage pregnancy prevention and services program for over 500 young women annually, and adoption services. She worked with her board of directors and the state legislature to substantially improve the organization's capacity to serve children and families through development of new programs, increased funding, and community support. She served on the board of the National Homes and Services for Children (NAHSC) and was active in the Child Welfare League of America. She chaired two national conferences. The organization was accredited three times by the Council on Accreditation during her tenure there.

Marrying in midlife, to Dennis Alexander, brought Shirley to Houston.  It also increased her family with two more sons, Brad and Chris. After spending two years successfully consulting, she returned to her first love….residential care… at Boys and Girls Country.

In 1996, realizing that 'the job of parenting is not complete at age 18', she launched the College and Career Program to give Boys and Girls Country children a better future through higher education and career development. This program has since produced 60 high school graduates (primarily first generation) and 14 college/trade school graduates. Many are still in college and on their journey to a self supporting and contributing life.

Although raising over 100 children each year comes with daily challenges, Shirley’s passion continues to be residential care. “I have had the opportunity to work in almost every program from in-home services, foster care, mentoring programs, and residential. I have been the adoptive parent of an older special needs child who is now in his mid 40’s.  I have also watched two other sons find their way through their teen years and their 20’s. I know what it takes. I believe that the Home we offer children at Boys and Girls Country is the best substitute for growing up in a ‘normal family’ that can be found."