Shelley Caplan

Shelley Caplan has three decades of experience as a strategic communications expert with a focus on national public health initiatives for NIH institutes, the CDC, and other Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies. She has developed and led award-winning, integrated awareness and behavior change campaigns targeting underserved populations on topics such as HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, teen tobacco use, the opioid epidemic, youth homelessness, child trafficking, diabetes, kidney disease, and more.

Shelley’s former work experience includes serving as JBS International’s communications lead on CDC contracts to increase hepatitis vaccinations among populations most at-risk. She also arranged satellite media tours for the director of NIH’s National Institute on Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, and helped plan a national media event about youth homelessness featuring pop icon Cyndi Lauper for the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Additionally, Shelley led corporate communications for JBS, rebranding the firm and managing development of a new corporate website.

In the late 1990s, Shelley worked closely with social marketing pioneer Bill Novelli, then-CEO, at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. She “wore many hats” there, managing the website and production of high-profile ads and directing the organization’s entertainment education initiative. She worked with celebrity spokespersons and successfully placed an anti-smoking challenge on MTV’s The Real World – Road Rules Challenge.

Shelley recently finished her term on the Board of the Maryland Public Health Association by securing Congressman Jamie Raskin as a speaker for an event on resilience. She enjoys finding creative ways of bringing attention to vitally important topics and making a difference that improves people’s lives.