William D. Novelli
President, National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids

Bill Novelli is President of the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, a privately-funded organization established to focus the nation's attention and action on reducing tobacco use among children. The Center's mandate is to change public policies and the social environment, limit tobacco companies' marketing and sales practices to children, and serve as a counter force to the tobacco industry and its special interests.

Previously, Mr. Novelli was executive vice president of CARE, the world's largest private relief and development organization ($450 million budget, 11,000 employees, 40 developing countries plus fundraising and advocacy in the U.S.). He was responsible for all operations in the U.S. and abroad. CARE helps impoverished people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America through programs in health, agriculture, environmental protection, and small business support. CARE also provides emergency relief to people in need.

Earlier, Mr. Novelli co-founded and was President of Porter/Novelli, one of the 10 largest public relations agencies in the U.S. and part of the Omnicom Group, among the foremost marketing communications corporations in the world.

Porter/Novelli was founded to apply marketing to social and health issues, and grew into an international marketing/public relations agency with corporate, not-for-profit and government clients. The firm was named the best public relations agency in America for 1995 by the industry's leading trade publication.

Mr. Novelli is a recognized leader in the international emergence of social marketing, and managed programs in cancer control, charitable giving, cardiovascular health, family planning, diet and nutrition, equity for older workers, pay increases for teachers, infant survival and other programs in the U.S. and the developing world. He also directed numerous corporate accounts as well as the management and development of the firm.

Mr. Novelli began his career at a worldwide package goods marketing company, moved to a major ad agency, then went to Washington to serve as Director of Advertising and Creative Services in the Peace Corps. In this role, Mr. Novelli helped direct recruitment efforts for the Peace Corps, VISTA, and social involvement programs for older Americans.

He holds a B.A. and M.A. (Annenberg School for Communication) from the University of Pennsylvania and pursued doctoral studies at New York University. He taught marketing management for 10 years in the University of Maryland's M.B.A. program and also taught health communication there. He recently taught social marketing in the School of Public Health at Emory University. Mr. Novelli has also lectured at many other institutions. He has written numerous articles and chapters on marketing management, marketing communications, and social marketing in journals, periodicals, and text books.

Mr. Novelli and his wife, Fran, reside in Bethesda, Maryland. They have three adult children.