About
Don Shipley
Don Shipley is an independent producer, writer and public relations consultant who offers clients in the Washington area a full range of strategic communications, video production, fundraising, media relations, editorial and creative services.
Prior to establishing Shipley Communications in 2008, he spent 11 years in the leadership of Washington-based public relations agency Stratacomm, a Fleishman Hillard company, and has since worked with the firm on several projects as a subcontractor. Other current and past clients of his firm include American Highway Users Alliance, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Campbell Hoffman Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Diesel Technology Forum, Governors Highway Safety Association, Invictus Foundation, National Organizations for Youth Safety, Roadway Safety Foundation and Woodrow Wilson Center. He has planned and executed campaigns in a wide range of issue areas such as traffic safety, energy, environment, advanced vehicle technologies, learning disabilities and public health.
Shipley has written and produced more than 100 video and multimedia programs in his career, including educational and informational programs, special event openings, web clips, video news releases, public service announcements, exhibits and presentations. In addition to his consulting work, his relevant past experience includes running video production operations at Stratacomm, and serving as marketing director in the video production department at a nationally-ranked public relations firm and at two production facilities. He has close working relationships with a number of other complementary independent creative and communications professionals, including video editors and crews, graphic designers, Web developers, PR firms, and researchers, and regularly collaborates with them for various assignments.
Shipley’s credits from earlier in his career include production and staging work at technology demonstrations and product roll-outs for American Trauma Society, Challenge X, Chrysler, DARPA Grand Challenge and Urban Challenge, Ford, General Motors, OnStar, Takata, USCAR, and numerous other clients and initiatives, as well as high-profile events such as the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department Legislative Conference, the White House Conference on Aging and the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. Programs he has written and produced have won Association Trends, Communicator, CINDY, Mercury and Telly awards.
The parent of young adult with autism, Shipley is active in the local autism community. He served on the board of the Autism Society of Northern Virginia for nine years, including three years as chapter president, and now helps the Organization for Autism Research with its Hire Autism program. He has been closely involved with planning and executing numerous programs, events, fundraising initiatives and advocacy campaigns related to autism issues.
Shipley earned his degree at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a major in public relations. He lives with his wife Barbara, daughter Erica and son Kyle in Falls Church, VA.
