Rooted in Service, Growing with Purpose: Shep Pryor

Since the early days of the Private Directors Association, founding member Shep Pryor has played a key role in shaping the organization’s mission and momentum. As part of the original group that launched PDA, he helped lay the foundation for what would become a thriving national network dedicated to improving private company governance. Having served on 16 boards spanning private firms, nonprofits, and public enterprises, Pryor brings both deep expertise and a passion for mentoring and building sustainable systems.

“In the early days, we had a cowboy culture—everyone wearing multiple hats and moving fast,” he recalls. “But we knew if PDA was going to grow, we’d need to build in process[es] and replicate our successes without burning people out.” That experience reinforced the need for repeatable, scalable programming, an approach that facilitated the development of programs like the Certificate in Private Company Governance course.

A longtime contributor to PDA’s committee structure, Pryor currently serves as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee—after previously lending his expertise to more than half a dozen groups.  From structuring educational offerings to expanding PDA’s body of knowledge, he’s focused on empowering members to become effective, value-driven board leaders. “There’s always a tradeoff between building infrastructure and responding in the moment. But if we’re going to scale, we need systems that can carry us,” he says.

His leadership style is rooted in what he playfully calls “serial parenting,” a mindset shaped early on as the main babysitter for his four younger siblings. That role sparked a lifelong instinct to guide and support others, an approach he’s carried into his work as a banker, consultant, board member, and adjunct professor. “You don’t need credit for everything. Sometimes your job is just to pass along what you’ve learned and upgrade someone else’s capability.”

When it comes to getting involved, he urges PDA members not to wait for an invitation. “The best organizations thrive because of people-to-people networks. If you have the interest and energy, there’s always a place for you to contribute.”

Outside of PDA, Pryor is an avid wildlife photographer and classical pianist. “Nature clears my head. Music reminds me I’m always a student.”