Rockville, MD, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abt Associates announced today that Shelly Spoeth has joined the company as a principal associate for communication and behavior change. She will serve as a strategic communication expert on projects for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.

Spoeth brings more than 25 years of strategic communication and social marketing experience to tackling complex health and social issues. While at major public relations firms, she worked for a decade with pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. She then worked as a consultant for government and nonprofit clients, including the CDC, on challenges ranging from HIV/AIDS to COVID-19. Spoeth has implemented, evaluated, and managed dozens of projects that improved health outcomes.

She joins Abt from the American Cancer Society, where she led strategic marketing and communication planning. Before that, she served as a senior vice president at Porter Novelli, leading the Health & Social Impact practice and managing large CDC communications contracts.

Spoeth is a founding member of the planning committee for the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media and currently is the Member-at-Large for the Society for Health Communication. She holds a B.S with high honors from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Babson College/Harvard Business School Omnicom University Advanced Management Program.

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. From combatting infectious disease and conducting rigorous program evaluations, to ensuring safe drinking water and promoting access to affordable housing - and more - we partner with clients and communities to tackle their most complex challenges.