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Meet Bill Shackelford

Parent

Father of 3 and grandfather of 10

Trainer

Trained over 10,000 individuals

Author

Author of 3 books, including Growing Into Your Parenting Role

Entrepreneur

Founder of AP Academy and Raising Kids / Growing Parents Podcast

William (Bill) Shackelford, Founder, AP Academy and Raising Kids / Growing Parents Podcast

Bill and the AP Academy team can provide your organization exciting, engaging, and informative Keynote Presentations, Workshops, Consulting Services, and other extended services. Whether you need individual guidance, group learning, or inspirational speaking, we're here to help you (and those you serve) grow.

Personal Journey

My journey into adulthood began as a teenager when I met Renee Nuckols. We were very different but, early in our relationship, we knew we were meant to build a life together.

We met in high school, started dating at 15, and spent six years growing from teenagers into young adults before we married. Along the way, we learned that becoming an adult is about much more than getting an education, building a career, or starting a family. It's about learning who you are, discovering what you want from life, making wise choices, building trusting relationships, managing challenges, and taking responsibility for the life you create.

We completed high school and college together, built professional careers, raised three children, and were eventually blessed with ten grandkids. Thanks to our long dating period we started our marriage with a mature relationship. We soon discovered that others were taking notice of our parenting style and our family. Our close friends called us the “real-life Huxtable family,” while others would call on us for advice on how to deal with issues they were having with their young children.

We saw our parenting methods working with children other than our own and came to believe we had parenting tools and techniques worth sharing. Those insights became the foundation for AP Academy and our belief that you grow into your adulting and parenting roles through deliberate actions.

Professional Journey

Bill Shackelford weaved three diverse careers together to create one fantastic life journey.

Engineer

As an engineer he directed an engineering program for the four Historically Black Colleges in Atlanta and served as a Senior Analyst at the CIA.

Entrepreneur

In 1988 Bill launched IEC Enterprises - a cultural diversity consulting company that he led for over 30 years. There he trained over 10,000 individuals, and created DEI programs for major public and private sector organizations.

Parenting Consultant

In his retirement, he wrote his book on parenting and launched the Adulting and Parenting Academy (AP Academy) where he conducts workshops, seminars and retreats for young adults, parents, and aspiring parents.

Bill is a highly sought after keynote speaker, workshop presenter, author, and consultant on adulting and parenting issues. He draws from his 30 years as a corporate trainer to create captivating presentations that draw audiences in and changes minds and hearts forever. Bill has 50 years of parenting experience and 25 years of grandparenting experience.