Shirley Folkins-Roberts has been a dedicated advocate for children battling cancer since 2003. As a co-founder of the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation (NNCCF), she serves on the Board of Directors and since 2006 has annually led advocacy teams of Nevada families to Washington, D.C., championing for childhood cancer research funding. From 2018 to 2021, Shirley served as Executive Director of NNCCF, where she was instrumental in supporting Northern Nevada families through their cancer journeys. In recognition of her dedication, she was appointed in 2021 to the St. Baldrick’s National Advocacy Advisory Committee, a distinguished group of public policy experts, physician-scientists, and parents, working to advance federal legislation for childhood cancer research. She is also a steering committee member for the Max Vincze Foundation, an organization financing research focused on adolescent and young adult cancers.

Beyond her nonprofit work, Shirley is the Community Development Director for Panattoni Development Company. Since 2014, she has overseen more than four million square feet of commercial real estate development, managing projects from land entitlement to tenant relations. In her current role she works on the entitlement process and represents Panattoni at the local, state and national level.

Shirley holds a Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. She has been a member of the California Bar since 1993 and the Nevada Bar since 2010, having practiced law in both states. Shirley serves as Chair of the REMSA Health Board of Directors. She is an active member of the Board of Trustees for the Reno Philharmonic and is a member of the Rotary Club of Reno Central. In 2023 she was appointed to the City of Reno Business Enterprise Fund Advisory Committee and in 2024 was selected by the Governor to serve on the Board of Directors for The Nevada Strategic Growth Initiative.