At the Intersection of Liberal Arts + STEM
Spring 2016
Joel Kaplan
Joel Kaplan, vice president of global public policy at Facebook, spoke at Purdue on April 14, 2016, about the role social media plays as a communication and connection point in the face of international events with both individual and policy implications. The event was presented by the College of Liberal Arts with sponsorship from the Andrew B. Maner Lecture Series.
Kaplan manages Facebook's global public policy strategy, working with governments and non-governmental organizations to foster understanding and support for Facebook's innovative technology. He joined Facebook in 2011 as vice president of U.S. public policy, overseeing the company's relationships with policymakers at the federal and state levels.
Prior to joining Facebook, Kaplan was the executive vice president for public policy and external affairs for Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH). In that position, Kaplan oversaw enterprise-wide public affairs and led EFH's efforts to publicly demonstrate and communicate its role in the energy industry.
Kaplan joined EFH from the White House, where he served as deputy chief of staff for policy under President George W. Bush from 2006-2009. There, he was responsible for the development and implementation of the administration's policy agenda. He framed strategic decisions on a full range of policy matters and integrated the execution of legislative, communications, and external outreach and policy strategies on behalf of the president and chief of staff.
From 2003-2006, he served as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. From 2001-2003 he was special assistant to the president for policy within the White House chief of staff's office.