Caliber Senior Manager Heather Valle-Theobald is a person of many nicknames, and each one tells a story about the people who gave it to her. A proud New Jerseyan with a well-stamped passport and a firm belief that anyone on a team should feel empowered to speak up and share their ideas, regardless of level, Heather has built a career on collaboration. From serving as dean of the Caliber College of Public Relations to crossing state lines to try out the latest food trend, get to know Heather in this month’s staff spotlight.

Kate: What is your favorite nickname and how did you get it?

Heather: My husband calls me Heath. My friends call me HV. My family calls me Heather Feather. As we grow here at Caliber, and I work with another wonderful Heather (Pitek), my colleagues now call me HVT (adding in my married name). I don’t have a favorite. I find them all endearing, and reflective of how each of my crews view me! 

Kate: Where do you consider “home”? What is special about it?

Heather: New Jersey, greatest state in the world. People talk down on New Jersey but it has great pizza, great bagels, and access to NYC, Philadelphia (go birds) and the beach. We have a special grit. Plus all my loved ones are here, so I’m biased. 

Kate: What non-work activities inspire you?

Heather: I have an Aussie/Collie mix named Luna who demands all of my attention outside of work. We go for walks, we play ball and we go to Starbucks for pup cups. My paychecks are strictly for new toys and treats. 

Kate: If you had to include one ingredient in every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Heather: I think everything can benefit from a dash of oregano. I make a lot of pasta recipes and soups, and oregano never does me wrong. Fun fact, in the winter, we have soup week in my house — chicken tortilla, classic chicken noodle, French onion, broccoli cheddar — they are so easy and fun to make. 

Kate: What’s a book, podcast or creator that’s shaping your thinking right now?

Heather: Project Hail Mary! The book was ‘amaze, amaze, amaze’ and they did a great job with the movie as well. I don’t understand the theory of relativity — it hurts my brain. But we have all our strengths and that’s why I’m a woman of PR, not science. 

Kate: As dean of Caliber College of Public Relations, how would you describe your experience of building and evolving our program for our team’s needs?

Heather: This is one of my favorite tasks here at Caliber. I love hearing what our Caliberites want to learn more about, and I get to help bring that to life. Our curriculum has grown to include students at levels from graduate associate through our senior manager level. Due to the dedication we put into growing CCPR and the emphasis our agency puts on learning and development as a whole, I am proud to say we earned recognition as a Ragan’s 2026 Top Places to Work in Communications. 

Kate: What’s one accomplishment from your childhood that you still brag about?

Heather: Humble brag, my high school field hockey team lost every single game our first season. This colossal failure as an athlete showed me my true strengths — I am not competitive; I am collaborative. Oh, you want the ball? Here you go. I find this trait isn’t great in sports, but is invaluable on PR teams.

Kate: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?

Heather: I love a good food trend. I buy into the hype, particularly when it comes to internet food trends. I loved watching TikToks and Reels about new restaurants, cafe openings and trending grocery store snacks. It brings me joy to try new things, whether that’s a swanky three-course meal or just a fun, silly latte. I am not ashamed to say I will cross state lines to try a new treat. 

Kate: When you think about your time at Caliber, what career accomplishment or milestone makes you feel most proud?

Heather: I love entering and winning awards for clients and Caliber. Over my time here, these have included the Ragan Zenith Awards, PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries, Benzinga Global Fintech Awards, FinTech Futures Banking Tech Awards and more. These award wins are a true testament to the great media coverage and thought leadership programs we run for clients, and underscore the work we put into building Caliber’s culture. 

Kate: Name one thing that amazes you about fintech or innovation in financial services.

Heather: I am amazed by the strategy and discipline our clients have in approaching innovation. It feels like the world is moving so fast, but behind the scenes, I love hearing about the well-researched, measured, compliant-forward approaches our clients take to bringing new products and services to life. It’s not ‘move fast and break things.’ It’s about bringing smart innovations to life with customer trust and transparency in mind.

Kate: When you think about the future of PR and communications, what are you most excited about?

Heather: Shout-out to the Caliberites who are evolving our approach to ensuring PR efforts boost AI and GEO efforts, especially through our Digital Metrics Certification program. I think this is going to be really important to help us differentiate our PR work. 

Kate: What’s your favorite Caliber Perk?

Heather: Unlimited PTO has allowed me the ideal work/life balance. Cliché, but true! During my time here, I’ve been able to venture to New Zealand, Tahiti and Italy — to name a few — and also just take a planned day to reset and spend time with my mom if that is what I need. I work hard when I’m online and appreciate the chance to unplug when I am not. 

Kate: What’s your favorite thing about working at Caliber?

Heather: There are some seriously smart and passionate people here. As I am also deeply involved in recruiting and hiring for the Graduate Associate Program, I love meeting new people and seeing what new talents we can add to this star team. 

Kate: Looking back, are there any defining moments that helped shape you into the rockstar you are today?

Heather: I find the best teams are the ones that we call ‘flat,’ meaning no matter what level, you can raise your hand to try anything. From the start of my career, this has allowed me to try new tasks, grow my confidence and learn that any new skill is possible.

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Want to join Heather Valle-Theobald at Caliber? Check out our job postings page for open positions.

The Staff Spotlight Q&A series highlights Caliber team members for the stellar work they do each day and the important part we all play in the company. Read more Staff Spotlight Q&A posts to learn more about our top-tier team.

Originally posted May 16, 2022. Updated March 31, 2026.