Laura
M.
Caliguiri
Leadership Role
Laura Caliguiri served as Associate Commissioner for External Affairs from July 2019 to July 2020. She oversaw the development, coordination and leadership of all FDA communications and outreach efforts to the news media, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, industry, states, consumer groups, and the general public. The Office of External Affairs is the FDA’s focal point for speechwriting, creative and editorial services, and best practices in digital and web technology. Ms. Caliguiri also advised the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and other key agency officials on FDA’s communication strategies, and provided counsel on communicating with the media, stakeholders, and the general public on issues that affect agency-wide programs, projects, strategies, partnerships and initiatives.
Prior to the FDA, Ms. Caliguiri was at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she served both Secretary Azar and Deputy Secretary Hargan concurrently in her roles as the Associate Deputy Secretary and Counselor to the Secretary for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the (CDC) and (NIH).
While in the Immediate Office of the Secretary, she provided strategic and tactical leadership on key health policy issues and strategic initiatives across the Department. She advised the Deputy Secretary on general Department operations relating to key staff divisions (Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Legislation, Public and Global Affairs). She additionally managed the Deputy Secretary’s strategy and execution on global health security issues through ministerial engagement, working with international organizations and non-government stakeholders and on public health issues through the (WHO) Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Ms. Caliguiri was also responsible for coordinating and leading the Secretarial response to the Ebola outbreak, helping facilitate the Department’s preparedness and response for public health emergencies, the development of medical countermeasures and strengthening the market for critical medical products.
During her previous HHS service, Ms. Caliguiri was the Director in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she served as an advisor to then Secretary Michael O. Leavitt on the Department’s policy for state, local, and tribal governments. She previously served as the Senior Intergovernmental Affairs Officer in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
In addition to her government service, Ms. Caliguiri worked in the private sector for more than two decades. During this time, she worked for corporations, trade associations and with broad stakeholder communities to develop and execute strategic communications and initiatives to drive key policy issues while working with federal, state and local lawmakers and public policy groups.
Ms. Caliguiri is a graduate from The College of Wooster with a B.A. in Philosophy. She served as a medical ethics intern at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and as member of the Medstar Washington Hospital Center Medical Ethics Committee. She is an Honorary member of the Kentucky Colonel, and American Council of Young Political Leaders alumni having served as a 2005 Delegate to Egypt and Jordan. She is a Board Member for the Hope for Henry Foundation.