Heather Cavaliere, Founder

Heather R. Cavaliere

Strategic Communications Consultant | Executive Public Affairs Leader

Executive Biography

Heather R. Cavaliere is a Strategic Communications Consultant with over two decades of experience advising senior leaders in government, defense, corporations and international partners. She has built her career at the highest levels of Strategic Communications, serving as a trusted advisor to the U.S. Department of Defense, Congress, industry leaders, and allied governments worldwide.
 
Heather served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), where she led a team responsible for shaping public messaging on some of the nation’s most advanced defense initiatives. In this role, she provided strategic counsel to senior Pentagon officials, Combatant Commanders, and congressional leaders, ensuring alignment between complex technical programs and clear, compelling narratives that resonate with decision makers, the media, and the public.
 
Her expertise extends to international relations and diplomacy, where she has coordinated communications with global partners including NATO, Israel, Japan, Australia, and multiple European and Middle Eastern nations. By building trusted relationships and crafting unified messaging strategies, Heather has strengthened alliances and advanced U.S. defense priorities on the global stage.
 
Prior to her current role, Heather directed strategic marketing and public relations for Advanced Systems Development, where she launched the company’s first PR department and expanded outreach across more than 40 national defense and industry conferences annually. She also served as a public affairs officer with Gray Research and held senior roles in political campaign communications, managing grassroots and media strategies for candidates at the local, state, and federal levels. Her early career included staff positions with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, and President George W. Bush’s Student Inaugural Committee, as well as experience in broadcast journalism at NBC affiliate WAFF-48.
 
Heather’s career is defined by her ability to translate highly technical and sensitive issues into clear, actionable messages that build public trust, foster stakeholder engagement, and protect organizational credibility during high-stakes moments. She is recognized for her leadership in executive coaching, crisis communications, and media strategy, and has frequently represented organizations as an on-the-record spokesperson in national and international press coverage.
 
She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Communications from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and is a Certified Department of Defense Public Affairs Officer through the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland. She maintains an active Department of Defense Secret Security Clearance and Diplomatic Passport.
 
Heather is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and advancing opportunities for women in defense, diplomacy, and communications. Through her consulting practice, Purpose Driven Communication, she continues to provide strategic counsel to organizations seeking to elevate their voice, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and achieve lasting impact.