Shelton taught both Delagi boys to understand their learning differences, but, most importantly, equipped each with the tools to pursue their dreams.

Beth and Greg have seen firsthand how Shelton gives children with learning differences the ability to understand their gaps, provides them with strategies to overcome issues, and creates opportunities for children to build the confidence necessary for them to thrive. The Delagis’ vision is that with the new campus, Shelton will expand its impact to reach a greater number of children; they’ve said, “We would also like to see Shelton expand their efforts to engage families without the means to access this type of education.” In addition to the financial support they’ve given to help build our new campus, the Delagi family is also planning to make an additional gift so Shelton can offer financial aid to more families.

The Delagi family’s philanthropic journey commenced almost two decades ago. For 36 years, Greg worked for Texas Instruments, where giving back to the community is a tenet of company culture. Beth and Greg’s desire to support their various communities emerged from their feeling fortunate not only in having five healthy children, but also the means to create a significant impact. That is certainly the case at Shelton where they have made two separate gifts to support Shelton’s capital campaign. The first was a multi-year pledge to the library, which included a naming opportunity; it is now known as the “Lower School/Upper Elementary Library.” The second was a larger one-time gift made purely because they were inspired and delighted by the success of the first and wanted to do even more. 

Greg joined Shelton’s Board of Trustees in 2020 and is currently a member of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee.

Ed says philanthropy requires two things:  the will and the resources.  In their family, the will was always present. The resources, however, took a bit longer to achieve.  It was not until their mid-forties that Ed and his wife could truly "put our shoulder" into significant giving.  Since then, they have focused our efforts primarily on children’s education and health.  

The Heffernans believe that Shelton's most important work is the ability to take children with learning differences who have "fallen through the cracks" in the mainstream educational system and rebuild their confidence. By doing so, they can move forward and be successful and productive members of society.

They are excited that the new campus will allow Shelton to expand to accommodate a larger student body.  The demand for a school with Shelton’s mission continues to expand in the Dallas area. Ed adds that the population and the number of students who could benefit from Shelton will only grow and grow.

Ed has served on Shelton’s Board of Trustees since 2010 and has previously served on Shelton’s Long Range Planning Committee and the Endowment Fund Committee.

Shelton School’s new campus on Preston Road will open this fall, providing our students a unified campus that will enhance both academic and extracurricular activities. Travis Hollman serves as President and CEO of Hollman Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of sports, fitness and office lockers. Hollman’s lockers can be found in the locker rooms of the Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Equinox and now inside the halls of Shelton School.

Travis and his wife Stephanie are parents to Cruz, a current Shelton 3rd grader. They decided to provide all the lockers for the new Shelton campus as a gift because they have been extremely happy with the transformation that Shelton has had on their youngest son, Cruz, who is now happy and self-confident. “Although we loved the education,” Travis said, “we felt that the kids deserved a better physical environment. Something that compliments the education and lets the kids know that they are worthy of the best.”

Travis grew up severely dyslexic himself and was held back in the 3rd grade. He said he had very little help educationally and his self-esteem was very low. “With Shelton, our son is thriving. He is inspired to learn. He is celebrated for his gifts,” said Travis. He says his son now has the education he only dreamed of as a child. 

Through Hollman Inc, the Hollmans are providing all the lockers for the new campus, including the classrooms, P.E. locker rooms, baseball locker room and the football field house. Travis said he wanted to help give the kids a place they can be proud of because they deserve it.

The Hollmans have been big philanthropists in the community for a long time. They believe when you are as blessed in life, there is a responsibility to help others. 

David joined Shelton’s Board of Trustees in 1978 and served as the Board Chair from 1981 to 1983. He remains on the Board of Trustees today as the longest-standing member of the Board. In 1981, David led the efforts to find Shelton a new home at the old Lovers Lane Methodist Church. Today, Shelton finally has a unified campus at its eighth location on Preston Road and the Martineaus have been a part of every single campus. Long after their son left Shelton, they have continued to support Shelton’s mission. In addition to the Board of Trustees, David currently serves on Shelton’s Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Long Range Planning Committee and the Nominating Committee.

David says his wife, Sara, is the main reason he’s been involved with Shelton for so long. He said that she has served on numerous Boards throughout Dallas and has inspired their family to support causes close to their heart. Shelton is at the top of that list because of what it did for their son. David says that what Shelton did for his son is unbelievable. His son has a learning difference and went on to graduate high school from the Episcopal School of Dallas. He then attended the University of Mississippi and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering before earning his master’s degree in geology from the University of Texas at Austin.

David says a lot of families come to Shelton thinking their students will only be at Shelton for a couple of years. Over the years as we’ve enhanced our programs to give students the help they need, he says they’re now staying longer and graduating from Shelton. He thinks the small class sizes and specialized education are two of the biggest benefits of coming to Shelton. He is amazed at Shelton’s growth starting from a little Sunday School space to our beautiful new campus and says Shelton has already exceeded his wildest expectations.

He loves seeing how much Shelton has grown and what it has done for so many children, not only his own son. He says people come up to him all the time and tell him what Shelton has done for their child. He said so many people know that he has been involved with Shelton from the beginning and share their stories with him. He is proud to be associated with such an amazing organization.

David is also excited about the future of Shelton. One of his favorite things about the new campus is the athletic facilities. He says having our own baseball field, football stadium and multiple gyms make this campus a real home for our students. He is thrilled that Shelton has more space to offer the Shelton experience to more students and is amazed that families are moving to Dallas from all over the world to attend Shelton.

One of his favorite memories of Shelton was when Libby was on the co-ed basketball team in the sixth grade. He said there was a girl on the team that had cerebral palsy and the boys would gather around her to protect her from other players so that she could shoot the ball. The way the students bonded and understood each other was special to watch.

Dr. Neubach says he loves everything the new campus has to offer and they were happy to be able to support the efforts to build this campus. He says it is so different from the early days when Libby went to school at Shelton. Now our students have everything they need with the athletics, fine arts and science facilities.

Dr. Neubach continues to serve on Shelton’s Board of Trustees and is currently the Vice Chairman. He is also a member of the Executive Committee, Long Range Planning Committee and the Landmark Foundation Board of Trustees.