Put in Query Monitor and this was the only obvious item on the page where I’m running the shortcode

SELECT user_id
FROM wp_usermeta
WHERE meta_key = ‘_is_featured’
AND meta_value = ‘1’

I never have figured out why the plugin’s shortcode isn’t working.

However, because I like your interface for Setting and Removing featured status for members, I wrote my own shortcode.

I’m putting it in here in case it’s helpful to anyone else:

function display_featured_members() {

$return_string = '<ul class="featured-members">';
$args = array( 'meta_key' => '_is_featured', 'orderby' => 'display_name',  'order' => 'ASC' );
// The Query
$user_query = new WP_User_Query( $args );
// User Loop
if ( ! empty( $user_query->get_results() ) ) {
	foreach ( $user_query->get_results() as $user ) {
		$key = '_is_featured';
		$featured_state = get_user_meta( $user->ID, $key, true );
		if ( $featured_state == '1' ) {
			$return_string .= '<li>' . $user->display_name . '</li>';
		}

	}
} else {
	$return_string .= 'No users found.';
}

$return_string .= '<ul>';
 return $return_string;

}

function bmm_shortcodes_init()
{
    add_shortcode('bmm-featured-members', 'display_featured_members');
}
 
add_action('init', 'bmm_shortcodes_init');