Fran Shelton received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Mars Hill College, graduating cum laude. She received her Masters of Music degree from Appalachian State University. Shelton holds membership in North Carolina Bandmasters Association, NEA, Women Band Directors International, National Band Association, and American School Band Directors Association.
Shelton has served as President of the Western North Carolina Bandmasters Association, President of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, Secretary of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, President of Women Band Directors International and is currently the Immediate Past President of the Women Band International. Shelton is the 1990 winner of the Award of Excellence in North Carolina-Western District, 1992 winner of the WBDI Scroll of Excellence, 1996 Teacher of the Year Award at Hendersonville HS, and 2004 WBDI Citation of Merit Award. In December 2009, Shelton was awarded the Silver Baton Award by the Women Band Directors International at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.

She has served as clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and has been staff conductor seven times on European Tours. Shelton has been director of bands at Hendersonville for the past 23 years. During her 23 years the HHS Bands have received numerous superior ratings with the concert, marching and jazz bands. The HHS Bands have performed at Billy Graham's Congressional Medal Ceremony, 1996 Olympic games, Gator, Sugar and Orange Bowls, Carnegie Hall in NYC, Symphony Hall in Boston, Mass., and Kennedy Center in 2008. Most recently the HHS Symphonic Band performed Symphony Hall in Chicago in spring 2010.