Caitlin Copple Masingill, 2019 Accomplished Under 40

Caitlin Copple Masingill

35 • President and founder •

Full Swing Public Relations • Garden City

Caitlin Copple Masingill is a creative, an entrepreneur, and an advocate who has used her passion and education to make a transformative impact in the world. She is a fourth-generation Idahoan who has overcome significant obstacles in her life, including coping with her father’s early death.

She also grappled with her sexual orientation and explains that she struggled with coming out as gay and later bisexual. Sadly, she only felt safe to do so after she left Idaho in 2005. This experience, however, led her to become involved in activism for equality and she decided to run for public office in Missoula, Montana, where she lived for 10 years. She was the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Missoula City Council and worked in that role for three years.

Copple Masingill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international politics and journalism from the College of Idaho and went on to complete a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Montana. She planned to stick with a career in journalism but instead decided to apply her writing skills toward cause marketing. She worked as a principal for Hilltop Public Solutions and as a PR Director for Oliver Russell, and then decided to take a leap and launch her own public relations company.

In February of this year, Copple Masingill started Full Swing Public Relations, which is already proving successful in developing strategic communications for women-owned businesses in travel, health and wellness, and social change.

“I was introduced to Caitlin when doing a rebranding project for LunchboxWax,” writes Debi Lane, founder and CEO at Lunchbox Wax, in a letter of recommendation. “I was quickly drawn to her as a person but became an absolute fan once we started working together. Her instincts and passion for telling a story in an authentic way, along with her incredible background in uncovering nuances that can be hard to put into words, is a true rarity in her field. What a gem in this Gem State!”

Some of Copple Masingill’s most memorable career and lifetime achievements include:

• Having her son, Tollie
• Directing the Montana Innocence Project in 2010, where she contributed to the effort to free Freddie Lawrence and Paul Jenkins, who were released from prison after proclaiming their innocence for more than 20 years
• Serving as the first Montana-based staffer for Pride Foundation, the country’s largest LGBTQ community foundation

“I’m proud that I took the leap and founded my own company,” Copple Masingill says. “I’m happier than ever before, and so is my family, and I love working with women business owners and leaders. I want to inspire others to create their dream life and career. I hope that in 20 years, Idaho will become a place that values women and LGBTQ people and protects access to public lands and clean air, land, and water for future generations. And I hope through my company and personal volunteerism, I can play a role in elevating the kinds of stories that lead to social and political change.”