Team Q&A: Shelby Nash – Account Executive

From thrifting to coding, our Account Executive Shelby Nash is here to help our utility partners find the easiest path to decarbonization and meeting sustainability goals. Join us in welcoming Shelby to the Virtual Peaker team!

How did your previous life prepare you for Virtual Peaker?

My career journey has jumped from teaching physical education to being an EMT, firefighter, customer service representative, and account manager – and I believe each experience has helped me prepare for this role. From the hands-on client relationship experience to critical thinking and swift response in many different environments, each role provided me with unique abilities that I apply daily.

I learned about Virtual Peaker initially through a Louisville-based tech school, Code Louisville, where I was taking courses to better understand technology and SaaS with the hopes of moving into a related field. I am very grateful for the education and foundation it provided, as well as the great opportunity it led me to here at Virtual Peaker.

Tell us about your role at Virtual Peaker.

I’m an account executive at Virtual Peaker, working closely with municipal utilities to help them start or grow their demand response programs through the use of our platform. My focus is finding and understanding their areas of need and tailoring our solution to meet and exceed those expectations.

This was a dream job for me because of the work we do. It feels great knowing that I have the opportunity every day to teach about sustainability in the utility space and that we have a great team at Virtual Peaker to make those sustainable solutions a reality.

How do you personally engage in sustainability efforts?

For me, I try to eat a vegetarian diet and make the effort to limit all animal-based foods as much as possible. This has been the easiest way for me to make the biggest impact in my day-to-day life.

My friends would also tell you I am the go-to for passing on hand-me-downs. From clothes, furniture, food, and more, I will gladly opt for the used item before purchasing a new one. I’m proud that most of the items in my house were either built of recycled wood or gifted through friends, found at yard sales or thrift stores. I try to focus only on necessary items to be more minimalist – but I can admit, that I do occasionally get a hankering for a new hobby, and then it’s out with the old and in with the new!

I also love hopping on my bike instead of taking my car and feel that little choices add up so I choose the library over purchasing a new book. Libraries rock!

What can you tell us about yourself?

I love my family, friends, and Dylan (my dog) above all else. Relationships and my people are at the core of who I am – they make my heart and soul tick. Spending time and making memories with them is invaluable to me, and a large part of my free time is spent doing just that.

I also love learning the history of my family and spending time at my house and in Louisville, which is where I grew up. I have spent many hours at the library’s genealogical and historical departments and scrolling through ancestry websites. I don’t keep a lot of things, but I am known to be a bit of a squirrel-in-winter when it comes to family memorabilia; to that, I say, “What do you mean you don’t think your grandma’s fourth-grade report card is important? Someday there may not be as many handwritten items to pass down. Of course, you should keep it!”