WHO IS STELL?

ESTHELDA“STELL”PARKER SELBY

Stell Parker Selby is a community leader in Sussex County, Delaware who declared candidacy for State Representative June 23, 2022 championing healthcare and education issues. Parker Selby was born and raised in Southern Delaware and served as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years in the Cape Henlopen School District. Following her retirement, she was elected to a five-year term to the Cape Henlopen School Board and served as Vice President and President.

In addition to the school board, Parker Selby served on the AARP Local Advisory Committee, Beebe Medical Center Board (16 years), Delmarva Peninsula Red Cross Board of Directors chairing the Member Recognition Committee, Delaware Historical Society Board, Member of the Littleton and Jane Mitchell African American Museum committee. Milton Theatre Advisory Board and Delaware Technical and Community College Developmental Council. 

She is also a member of the Delaware State University Board of Trustees, serving as Vice Chair of the Governance Committee and is active with the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Sussex County Alumni Association of DSU, Delaware Retired School Personnel Association Board, Milton Historical Society Board, DE Historic Preservation Board, and many local associations.

Prior service has been as a past Chairperson of the Sussex YMCA Board of Managers in Rehoboth, Past Chairperson of the Rehoboth Art League Cottage Tour, Past Member of the Delaware Principal’s Academy Board, and Past President of the Delaware State University National Alumni Association. She has served on the state’s Diversity Recruitment Committee, the Kent and Sussex Symphony Committee, Delaware Law Education Committee, member of the Association for Supervision of Curriculum and Development, Delaware Administrator Standards Committee, the Higher Education Commission, and was appointed in the 70’s by Governor Pete duPont to serve on the First State Testing Committee headed by Dave Burton of I. G. Burton Car Dealership. 

 Fondly known by family and friends as “Stell,” she is the daughter of the late Violet Ramona Parker and the late Denver B. Parker. She has one brother, Gayelon D. Parker, and two sons, Myron D.P. Selby and Nashon R.P. Selby. Esthelda is also a grandmother of seven and great grandmother of six.

Esthelda was born in Milford, Delaware and raised in Lewes and Milton, Delaware. All of her early and later living and career has been in the Milton, Lewes, and Rehoboth areas. Esthelda attended elementary school, grades 1-6 in Milton School #196-C in a time of segregation and segregated schools. The “C” identified these schools for “Colored” students. Grades 7-12 were completed at the William C. Jason Comprehensive High School in Georgetown, Delaware (now known as Delaware Technical and Community College, Jason Technology Building/ Owens Campus).  

She received her BA in Sociology at Delaware State College/University with a minor in Education. Later, Esthelda completed her Master of Education Instruction at the University of Delaware, certified in the field of Education and Public-School Administration.

In 1970, Esthelda was hired as a full-time teacher in the newly formed Cape Henlopen School District. She has taught and served as an administrator for grades K-12. She has served as an Administrative Intern in Shields Elementary, Assistant Principal, and Principal in Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen High School and Booker T. Washington Elementary School in the Capital School District. She served as an Adjunct Professor at Delaware State University for several years. Prior to retiring with thirty-four years of experience in education, Esthelda served as a District level Administrator in the Departments of Human Resources and Community Services, Mentoring and School Climate Issues in the Cape Henlopen School District.

After retirement, Esthelda continued to serve in higher education, by becoming the Director of Student Teaching for Delaware State University on the Dover Campus and later Director of their Georgetown Campus site. She has also served as a Student Teacher Adviser for Wilmington University.  

By special invitation in 1999, Esthelda was called by Senator William V. Roth’s office to testify before the United States Joint Finance Committee about the then new “Saving for Education Through Tax Sheltered Plans” initiative. In 2002, Esthelda went into the 19th Senatorial race against incumbent, Senator Therman Adams who for the first time, in a long time had an opponent. After that race, she said that she would return someday to the political arena and try for another office, and she did enter the State Treasurer’s race against incumbent Jack Markell in 2006. Defeat in those attempts did not stop her as she moved on and later became a Councilwoman and later the Vice Mayor of the Town of Milton through April 2017.

Esthelda has received numerous awards, honors and recognitions. Some include the YMCA Black Achiever Award, the Sussex County Dr, Martin Luther King Community Award, the Delaware Principal Academy Service Award, the University Presidents’ Award, Thurgood Marshall Outstanding Alumni Award and the DSU Sussex County Alumni Chapter Award for Outstanding Community Service.