Evelyn M. Kappeler is the Director of the HHS Office of Adolescent Health, a position she has held since July 29, 2012. Ms. Kappeler was first appointed in 2010 by the Assistant Secretary for Health to form and lead, in an acting capacity, the newly funded Office of Adolescent Health (OAH).

Ms. Kappeler established the office and immediately began work on implementing two grant programs, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program and the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF). The national evidence-based TPP program is a competitive grant program that works to prevent teen pregnancy through the implementation and rigorous evaluation of evidence-based TPP programs. The Pregnancy Assistance Fund is a competitive grant program funded through the Affordable Care Act for states and Tribal entities. The PAF program provides expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families with a seamless network of supportive services to help them complete high school or postsecondary degrees and gain access to health care, child care, family housing, and other critical supports. The office continues to expand its portfolio with extensive Training and Technical Assistance for the grant programs, coordination of adolescent health issues among HHS offices, and recently launched Adolescent Health: Think Act Grow ® (TAG), a national call to action for adolescent health.

Previously, Ms. Kappeler served as the Acting Director of the HHS Office of Population Affairs (OPA) where she managed the office and oversaw an expansion of the Title X National Family Planning Program; strengthened the performance and evaluation of the Adolescent Family Life Program; and revitalized OPA research and communications activities. During her tenure as a senior policy analyst in ASPE, she handled numerous special projects and policy briefings on family planning, family and child care issues, and adolescent health.

Ms. Kappeler began her career in Washington, DC, as a legislative assistant in the Governor’s Office of the State of Illinois. A graduate of the State University of New York at Brockport, she has been awarded numerous commendations and awards for outstanding government service.