Pamela Boyd Shields was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to Capt. Robert and Retha Boyd. She went to high School in Jacksonville. She was inspired to enter the Armed Forces because of her dad, an Air Force pilot and navigator, and she wanted that sense of patriotism to be carried on. (Her family has fought in service to our county since the American Revolution, and her mom retired as a 2nd lieutenant in the Women’s Air Corps). She was teaching in Little Rock and joined the Navy Reserves on her 35th birthday, only to be asked to go active duty a short time later.
Pamela’s first station was at the Spokane Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Readiness Center, where she served as Executive Officer (XO).
Her second duty station was the Honolulu Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center, where she again served as XO, until she went to the US Commander in Chief Pacific Command, where she served as the Assistant War Game Director and was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for a war game she directed.
Her next duty station was Naval Air Facility Washington D.C., where she served as an Assistant Training Officer and Instructor in their Terrorism Task Force. When she left active duty, she was picked up by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Operating Base National Capitol Region and the Directorate of Measurement and Signature Intelligence. She spent six months in Qatar as a Senior Watch Officer of the Combined Media Processing Center (CMPC-Q), a 24/7 operation that dealt with translation and exploitation of captured electronic media and documentation from Iraq.
Before she retired and became active with the Pulaski County Republican Women, Shields reached the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy and was an original member of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s J2 Joint Staff Intelligence Task Force created after 9/11.
Shields remains active in the community, serving as a commissioner for the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs in addition to her role with the Pulaski County Republican Women. She was also elected the second chair of the 2nd Congressional District of the Arkansas Republican Party.
What is your secret to success?
Perseverance. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You have to be determined. If you’re not, things often don’t get done.
How did you get started in your field?
I was a teacher in Little Rock public schools, and I got into the Navy Reserves at age 35 as an officer. Thirty-five is the last year you can sign up. I got in because I was a single mom, I wanted my son to have the same patriotism instilled in him, as was instilled in me, by my Dad, in my life. In the Reserves, I had extra money every month and was sent to several countries.
In less than a year, I was called up to active duty, and the pay was twice what I made as a teacher at that time. I started out as a teacher in Little Rock public schools, at Mabelvale Junior High School and Hall High School. I taught American history and was one of the district’s first gifted education teachers.
What do you love best about what you do?
We changed the Pulaski County Republican Women from a ladies-who-lunch group to a group that goes out and gets things accomplished for our county and our state.
We help feed veterans through the organization Feed the Vets, and we work with Wreaths Across America. Every year, we place wreaths at the Little Rock National Cemetery. We also hold classes for poll watchers and poll workers and have worked with PATH — Partners Against Trafficking Humans.
After a state law passed in August 2017 that required all public schools in Arkansas to display “In God We Trust,” if they were donated, we put “In God We Trust” posters in every public school in Little Rock.
What advice would you give to a young woman starting her career?
Pick something you love, and you’ll never work a day. Never dread going to work.
What is your proudest achievement?
My son, Scott Crosthwait, and my husband, Timothy Shields. Receiving the Defense Meritorious Service Medal as a lieutenant at CINCPAC [Commander in Chief Pacific Command] for my direction in a war game and earning the Joint Chiefs of Staff badge at the Pentagon.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I’m supposedly retired now, but I’m not really sure I ever retired! Being on active duty, I was on call 24 hours a day. In my work, I was “on” all the time. The Republican Women require a lot of time and work. We now take vacations (just returned from Santa Fe with dear friends), and hope to travel more.
What obstacles have you had to overcome?
Being a woman. Like the Marines, the Navy tends to be a man’s service. The majority of enlisted personnel are men, and in the officer ranks too, it is mostly male — but that’s changing. As a woman, you have to instill confidence in yourself and in the people you work with and work for. You have to let them know that you know what you are talking about.
What lessons have you learned from working in your field?
I have learned to trust my instincts and call out someone if they are wrong. Sometimes, things need to be changed, and those that say, ‘Because we’ve always done it this way,’ are often wrong. Know your bylaws and rules. Don’t accept a habit.
If you could have any other job, what would it be?
Probably none, but writer or president come in close!
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO STAYING VITAL AND RELEVANT AT ANY AGE?
Do something! Join a club, hang out with your girlfriends, cut your worst-case scenario friends (those who throw you under the bus) out of your world. Walk, read, and listen to music.
What kind of legacy do you hope to leave?
I want people to know I cared. I want my husband, Timothy, and my son, Scott, to know they meant more to me than anything.
What role does faith play in your life?
I believe in God, I pray at night and I enjoy community Bible study at Immanuel Baptist [Church in Little Rock]. Bottom line: God has this.
What is your hidden talent?
I am a great actress. I was in our high school play and was in the 1986 TV movie Under Siege, filmed in Little Rock with Peter Strauss and Hal Holbrook.
Shields as a toddler with her father, Robert.
Hearing what song makes you feel 21 again?
“Angie” by the Rolling Stones and “Shambala” by Three Dog Night.
By what saying or slogan are you known to friends, family or business associates?
“Trust, but verify.”
What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?
Re-reading A Sacred Duty, by Little Rock author Rhona Weaver. Watching NCIS and old movies. Listening to Dan Bongino’s podcast.
What’s your favorite quote?
There are several, but the two that stand out are, “Be always sure you’re right, then go ahead,” by Davy Crockett, and “Trust, but verify,” from Ronald Reagan.
What is one thing you would tell your 18-year-old self?
Get your education before you do anything else.
