Shelly Heath-Watson, MCC, is a Master Certified Coach, leadership strategist, and longtime coach educator with 25+ years of leadership experience. She built and led CI International’s first Coaching Division—supporting hundreds of federal leaders each year expand their leadership capacity. At ICF International, she oversaw a $30M communications portfolio translating science into actionable public health campaigns for organizations including the National Eye Institute and the CDC. Earlier, as National Director of Community Programs at the American Diabetes Association, she launched community-based initiatives that deepened engagement with communities of color and corporate partners such as Eli Lilly and Bristol Myers Squibb. 

Today, as founder of Simplexity Coaching & Consulting, Shelly partners with executives and senior leaders to expand their strategic and developmental capacity in a rapidly evolving, complex world. A highly regarded mentor coach, she integrates vertical and horizontal development into her work with coaches, designing ICF-accredited programs, cohort-based journeys, and developmental experiences that deepen mastery. Shelly also served more than a decade on faculty at Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership, teaching both foundational coaching and adult development. She holds a master’s in Social Psychology from American University and an extensive suite of professional certifications spanning adult development, resilience, neuroscience, and team and group coaching.