SHAUN CASTLE
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Shaun Castle is the Chief Operating Officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America as well as the Executive Director of the PVA Research and Education Foundations. He has a passion for global disability advocacy, veterans’ rights, corporate social responsibility, marketing and branding.
Castle enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2000 and became a military police officer stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. He served in Kosovo and Macedonia in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
In 2003, Castle was severely injured during a training exercise in Heidelberg. While a prosthetics surgery enabled him to walk again, he sustained further damage to his spinal cord. After a second spinal cord surgery that was unsuccessful, Castle learned during treatment at the Birmingham VA Medical Center in Alabama that he had a life-threatening allergy to all pain medications and muscle relaxers, a complication that nearly took his life.
In 2012, during his rehabilitation, Castle became familiar with the Lakeshore Foundation, a rehab hospital and Olympic training center in Birmingham, AL. He immediately developed a passion for adaptive sports and playing Wheelchair Basketball.
In 2014, Castle enrolled at the University of Alabama. He worked with the University on ADA Compliance and sat on the Diversity Committee as a representative for students with disabilities and veterans. He was also an adaptive sports athlete who played wheelchair basketball. During his time at Alabama, he helped secure funding to build the first-of-its-kind wheelchair basketball arena on campus.
Castle has earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership, a Master’s in Global Business Management from the University of Alabama, and a second Master’s from the University of Alabama in Advertising and Public Relations with a focus in Marketing Communications. He is next pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Shaun has given numerous speeches across the country on ADA compliance, disability rights and veterans’ issues, and corporate social responsibility, and was appointed to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities. He has frequently testified before Congress on securing the long-term viability of Social Security for all people with disabilities, as well as spoken before the Department of Transportation on Air Carrier Access legislation and implementation.
In his current role with Paralyzed Veterans of America, he oversees organizational efforts in Communications and Marketing, Adaptive Sports, Research and Education, Architecture, Veterans and Disability Employment, as well as Research and Education. He also helps guide efforts in corporate development, direct marketing, and corporate finance.
Castle met the love of his life, Stephanie, in 2009. Since then, she has been his biggest champion. Stephanie is not only Castle’s wife, but is also his caregiver and provides physical and emotional support every day.