A passionate, hard-working, and multi-talented leader, Kate Shelby wears several different hats at Resultant. For our clients, Kate serves as a Senior Delivery Leader on our Public Sector Services team, bringing extensive experience in government problem solving and deep subject matter expertise in unemployment fraud. In this client-facing role, she helps develop and implement large strategic initiatives for public sector clients.
Read Kate’s insights about mitigating unemployment insurance fraud.
Get to know Kate Shelby
What is your experience working with unemployment insurance and unemployment fraud?
Many years ago, I worked as a Deputy Attorney General during the Great Recession. It was a really difficult time for our nation, and the benefit systems—including unemployment insurance—were simply overwhelmed by the need. I started working with state government agencies who were getting attention for not being able to pay out benefits quickly enough or at all in some cases. As we dug into the issues, I started to develop a passion for working at the point where technology, people, processes, and the law converge. I love connecting the dots between these areas. What I have specifically learned about large public benefit programs like unemployment insurance is that you cannot implement any strategic initiative, law, or government policy without technology because these programs are so complex and the scale of need is so large. In these spaces, we have to embrace technology. We have to lean all the way in on the IT tools available to help us administer these programs.
What were you searching for as you moved from corporate attorney to public defender to public sector and now to Resultant?
My passion for making the world a better place through great government service has led me to accept these roles. There are big challenges facing our nation, and government can and is often obligated to help solve those challenges. Having a legal background and being able to use that in conjunction with technology and people processes is really rewarding and I feel really lucky to have had the experiences that give me a diverse perspective and allow me to develop strategies that can work. Along the way, I feel really fortunate to have had clients, mentors, and friends encourage me to take a risk and step out of the courtroom and into program leadership. I am always searching for new ways to broaden my experiences, gain more knowledge, and understand the perspectives of others.
What do you recommend for those that move into technology without technology backgrounds?
First, my hope is that we start to think about technology not as a “field” but as a tool for getting important work done. There isn’t much that technology doesn’t touch, and it is a part of every field of work. Second, processes are the bridge across any other background whether it’s programming, law, medicine, or something else. So if you are a process person and you can think about how technology fits into your jobs and the processes in your field, it gets really easy to learn more about tech.
Why are you passionate about working for Resultant?
One of my favorite things about working here is that I am able to make connections between multiple challenges in different government spaces. For example, the availability of child care is directly related to people’s ability to stay in the workforce and a strong workforce directly impacts economic growth opportunities. Uncovering these interconnections and being able to see disparate issues in the big picture has been really critical for me to lead strategies and help organizations drive positive change. My experience has allowed me to see from multiple perspectives and work with a variety of clients.
Outside of work, what do you love to do?
I coach junior soccer (4-6-year-olds). It is so much fun to see the world through their eyes. In addition, my husband, children, and I are very passionate about sustainability and eco-conscious lifestyles. Our house is solar-powered. We live on five acres of land where we love to plant trees. We hit our goal of planting one hundred trees, and we are not going to stop there. Our family is always looking for new innovative ways to reduce our impact on the planet.
Any advice for those working from home right now?
Invest in a really good, comfortable office chair. You will be in it A LOT.
45-minute meetings versus an hour meeting. If you can get it done in an hour, you can get it done in 45 minutes. Everyone needs a break in between meetings to get up and walk around. I guarantee people will be more motivated.
What’s your favorite Resultant value?
The reason I work at Resultant is because of our value of Fearless Problem Solving. Everyone here is excited to tackle the big problems, and we aren’t afraid that it will be too hard or uncomfortable. What I love the most about Resultant is that we figure out how to go solve those big problems bravely and without rocking the boat. It is possible, and Resultant excels at it.
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