Local Business Leader, Brian Shelley, Inducted into Utah Sports Officials Hall of Honor after 25+ Years of Officiating Basketball
Local Business Leader Inducted into Utah Sports Officials Hall of Honor after 25+ Years of Officiating Basketball
Referee and Colmena partner Brian Shelley recognized for a lifetime commitment to officiating basketball
Holladay, Utah (Jan. 31, 2023) – The Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation (USHOFF) and the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) have recognized local business leader Brian Shelley by inducting him into the Utah Officials Hall of Honor. Parallel to his career at local real estate development and investment firm Colmena Group, Shelley has spent his evenings and weekends running up and down various basketball floors throughout the state and country as a NCAA basketball referee.
“It is wonderful to receive this honor and spend time reflecting on a part of my life that has been incredibly satisfying and meaningful,” Shelley said. “Basketball is my favorite sport, and arguably Utah’s favorite sport. Being involved in the game as an official is such a rewarding experience, and I have always strived to make sure the game is called fairly and by the rules.”
A resident of Holladay Utah, Shelley has been an active voice in Utah and national basketball officiating circles for decades. He began his officiating career nearly 30 years ago after graduating from high school in American Fork. His skills were recognized early. He was the youngest official at the Utah 5A State High School Championship in 2000. After making the jump to college basketball, he officiated in multiple Division I conferences — including the PAC-12, Mountain West, Big Sky and WAC. He also officiated during the NBA 2009 referee lockout, and during multiple, postseason college conference tournaments.
In addition to his time on the floor, Shelley has mentored and taught hundreds of officials nationwide, and helped develop tools, technology and techniques to improve officiating accuracy and effectiveness. Today, his primary officiating focus is his work as a member of the men’s basketball leadership team of the Western Basketball Officials Consortium, which comprises of officials who work in the PAC-12, Mountain West, WAC, West Coast, Big Sky and Big West Conferences.
“I love the opportunities being a basketball official has provided me.” Shelley said. “Being involved as an instructor, trainer and ambassador for aspiring officials is a way to give back to the game and to contribute positively to the next generation of athletes and referees.”
Professionally, Shelley is a founding partner and CFO at Colmena Group. He lives in Holladay with his wife, Solhee and their three sons Tyson (20), Jackson (16) and Austin (14). In addition to his time spent on officiating, Shelley has found other ways to serve his community — particularly by coaching his sons and their teammates in multiple sports.
Shelley was formally recognized at the 2023 USHOFF Officials Honors Banquet held at Little America on January 23, 2023 alongside 16 other, outstanding officials.
# # #
About Colmena Group
Colmena Group is a real estate development and investment company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The managing partners of Colmena Group have more than 65 combined years of real estate experience, building their reputation on thoughtful stewardship of investment opportunities. Founded in 2008, Colmena’s mission is to build a legacy of quality, long-lasting communities. Since its inception, Colmena has developed, co-developed and invested in real estate projects that built a current portfolio value of more than $1.6 Billion (exceeding six million square feet and 12,000 apartment units). Colmena’s success is rooted in its ability to understand market need, source capital and work successfully with local and national partners.