Charlie Shields was born July 25, 1959 in Kansas City Missouri and attended public schools in Independence, and Kansas City Missouri. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Business Administration, both from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He met his wife Brenda at the University. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Logistics from the University and is a Business Education teacher at Truman Middle School in St. Joseph.

In December of 1987, Shields was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Mid-Buchanan R-V Board of Education. In April of 1988, Shields won an election to fill the remaining one year term and in April of 1989, Shields was elected by a large margin to a full three year term on the board. He was elected Vice-President of the Board in 1988, and was elected President of the Board in 1990. Shields was re-elected in 1992 and continued to serve on the Board until 2004.

In November of 1990, Shields was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent District Nine. This victory represented the first time a Republican has been elected to the Missouri House from Buchanan County since 1946. Shields served on the Budget Committee, Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, where he was the Senior Minority Member, Higher Education Committee, Joint Committee on Capitol Improvements and Leases Oversight, Rules, Joint Rules Committee, Interim Committee on Capitol Improvements and Maintenance, Appropriations for Health and Mental Health Committee, Interim Committee on State Fleet of Motor Vehicles and Airplanes and the Interim Committee on Urban Conservation and Restoration. He has served on numerous Interim Committees including Hold Harmless School Districts and A+ Schools. He is a member of the Missouri Cultural Trust Board and the Council on Efficient Operations. In January of 1996 Shields was elected by the Republican Caucus as the Minority Whip, which is the third highest position in the Republican Caucus and served his remaining terms in the House in this capacity. House Republicans named Shields "Outstanding Freshman Legislator" in 1992. Shields represented the Republican Caucus particularly on Health Care and Education issues and helped lead the caucus in the area of health care policy development. Shields was re-elected in 1992, 1994,1996,1998 and 2000. In February of 2002, Shields was named Legislator of the Year during Republican State Lincoln Days in Springfield. In 2005, the Missouri PTA awarded Senator Shields with their "A Better Missouri for Children" Award, the Missouri Community College Association awarded the Senator their Distinguished Legislator Award and he received the St. Louis R. C. G. A. 2005 Lewis & Clark Statesman Award.

Shields was elected to the office of Senator in 2002 and served as Chair of the Senate Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health Committee, Vice-Chair of the Education Committee, member of the Appropriations, Commerce and the Environment Committees, the Joint Committee on Legislative Research, the Children's Services Commission Sub-Committee on Children's Mental Health, the Joint Committee on Governmental Accountability, the Joint Committee on The Life Sciences and is the Chair of the Joint Interim Committee on Education. He also Chairs the Joint Interim Committee on Teacher Support, Regulatory Reduction and Accountability and serves as a Commissioner on the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Along with his service in the House and Senate, Shields is employed as a Project Coordinator for Heartland Health System in St. Joseph. Shields has done work in the areas of Children's Health, Mental Health Policy and Community Benefit Analysis.

Senator Shields was elected to the position of Senate Majority Floor Leader in 2005. As Senate Majority Floor Leader, Senator Shields serves as the Chair of the Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee, Vice-Chair of Gubernatorial Appointments, is a member of the Administration and Education Committes, the Joint Committee on Education and serves on the Education Commission of the State.

He has received numerous awards of appreciation for his dedication and service, including awards from Missouri Citizens for the Arts, Missouri State Teacher's Association, Missouri State Medical Association, Northwest Missouri Republican Club, Buchanan County Central Committee, Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living, Distinguished Legislative Service Award from the Missouri State Hospital Association, Spirit of Enterprise Award from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Missouri 2000 and 2002 Voice of Missouri Business Award, two time recipient of Missouri Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award, Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education Legislator Recognition Award, Tiger Roar Recognition Award from the University of Missouri, Outstanding Legislator for excellence in constituent service from the Missouri Federation of the Grand Order of Pachyderms in 2002, "Gary Wiggins Statesman" Award, 2003, American Cancer Society Legislator of the year, 2003, Missouri State Chiropractic Association Legislator Award, 2003, Missouri Pharmacy Association Legislative Leadership Award 2004, the 2004 Missouri Bar Award for outstanding service to the state of Missouri and the 2004 Outstanding Legislator Award from the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill. Senator Shields also received the Missouri PTA "A Better Missouri for Children" Award in 2005 and the 2005 Legislative Award from the St. Louis Business Journal.

Community activities include serving on the United Way Applications Committee, Pony Express Boy Scout Council, Troop 216 Assistant Scoutmaster, Tribe of Mic-O-Say, Success by Six Board, Northwest Missouri AHEC Board, Project Discovery Advisory Board, is a member and past President of the East Side Lions Club, Missouri Rural Health Association Board, National Association of Sportsmen Legislators, the Business and Technology College Executive Council and is an Associate Member of the Missouri National Guard Association. He is also a member of the Moila Shrine Temple in St. Joseph. Shields and his wife, Brenda, have served as co-chairs of the Arts Fund Drive for the Allied Arts Council and co-hosted the Trails West! Patron's party in 2001.

Shields is a member of the Buchanan County Republican Club, and serves as a committeeman for Center Township on the Republican Central Committee. He was appointed to the Missouri Arts Council Trust Fund Board of Trustees in January of 2003 and in February, 2003 was appointed to the Missouri Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Senator Shields is a member of the Future Leaders Corps of the Forum for State Health Policy Issues for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Shields and his wife reside in rural Buchanan County, and are the proud parents of two sons, 18-year-old Brandt, and 16-year-old Bryce.