Shelby Systems Aligns Leadership to Manage Growth

CORDOVA, TN - Shelby Systems, a leading provider of church management software, is pleased to announce that Ron Chandler has joined the company as Director of Customer Development. In addition, two Shelby Systems management veterans, Alfred Johnson and Steve Pruitt, have been reassigned to new roles. Mr. Johnson assumes the role of Director of Business Development, and Mr. Pruitt has been appointed to a new position as Director of Technology Development. These roles are strategically positioned to manage the tremendous growth the company has experienced. One facet that contributed to the company’s strong performance was the addition of a new browser-based church software product called Arena in the first quarter of 2007.

Ron Chandler, the newly appointed Director of Customer Development, brings with him 30 years of experience in ministry-related business administration, most recently at Germantown Baptist Church. An active member of the National Association of Church Business Administration, Chandler received the 2002 Saucedo Award which recognized him as Church Business Administrator of the Year. Mr. Chandler will lead the company’s customer support, training, education, and events departments. Upon being asked about his reaction to his new post, Chandler stated, “I am thrilled to be joining a company with such a great reputation in the industry. Shelby Systems continues to support churches and other religious organizations with a strong ministry focus. It is my sincere desire to reinforce this purpose in everything we do.”

Alfred Johnson is now the Director of Business Development. Most recently, Mr. Johnson served the company as Director of Customer Development. In addition to achieving a Masters Degree in Theology from Abilene Christian University, Alfred has over 25 years of experience managing a variety of business portfolios, ranging from retail management with J.C. Penney to private consulting. Commenting on his transition to leader of Shelby’s business development division, Johnson said, “I’m a strategic thinker. I look at the big picture to develop creative solutions to the challenges faced by our client base. We instill a consulting style in our team members to identify the core needs of our prospective customers. This approach allows us to recommend products that will help them achieve their ministry objectives.”

Steve Pruitt, the new Director of Technology Development, has been a Shelby Systems employee for over 15 years serving as Support Manager and Director of Business Development. In his new position, Steve will guide program development and information technology teams. “From Shelby’s inception, our vision has been to help churches serve their communities and better organize their ministry efforts,” said Pruitt. “In my new role, my objective is to give our customers a more active voice in the development of the solutions we provide. At Shelby, our mission is to equip churches and other faith-based organizations with technological tools to energize their ministries and overcome the daily challenges they face,” he added.

President Frank Canady made a strategic decision to sustain Shelby Systems’ long-term growth. “As a leadership team, we recognized that we had the opportunity to align the right people with the right positions to continue our vision. Our ultimate goal is to provide the best products and services to meet the needs of the ministries we serve.”

Shelby Systems, located in Cordova, Tennessee, provides management software designed for faith-based organizations such as churches, denominational headquarters, and other non-profit groups. An innovator in the field of church management software since the 1970s, Shelby continues to lead the industry with its newest creation of the Arena division. Arena, a browser-based, shared source ChMS is dedicated to the power of community by encouraging creativity, inspiring connections and enhancing communication. The company currently services over 8,500 customers in more than 40 countries.