Shelley Cooper is the Executive Chef of Culinary Operations for Oldham Properties LLC. She directs all food operations and is responsible for culinary talent at Dancing Bear Lodge & Appalachian Bistro in Townsend, Tennessee. Prior to this she was the Executive Chef at TerraMae Appalachian Bistro in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

She was born in Memphis, Tennessee, into a family that revolved around a bountiful table always filled with farm fresh Southern cuisine. Her maternal family hails from the Mississippi Delta, and her father from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She credits this combination with providing her Southern culinary roots.
Both families placed a high regard for fresh, seasonal, and "made from scratch" foods, as well as instilling the appreciation of pure simple ingredients. Shelley could not help but to be positively affected by such inherent passion.

She was professionally trained at Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Charleston, South Carolina and The San Francisco Baking Institute. Chef Shelley honed her craft at Belfair Club in Hilton Head, South Carolina, 30° Blue at Bay Point Resort in Florida, Craggy Range Winery in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, First and Hope Supper Club in Los Angeles, Alaska Expedition on the Gulf of Alaska, and Monettes Artisan Seafood on the big island of Hawaii.
Now she is tapping into her true roots and fully embracing her heritage at Dancing Bear. The culmination of her life travels and culinary passion have merged to create her unique version of highbrow Appalachian fare.