William P. (Bill) Harper, MA, ACSW, LISW-S was trained in social work and administration at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and The Ohio State University.   His 33-year career in the mental health field included twenty-two years as an executive director, leading four different mental health boards that all used Policy Governance® (PG) principles.  His initial training in PG was received from Dr. John Carver in 1986.  He was accepted into and completed the Policy Governance® Academy in 2006.

In 2007, Bill was appointed by Governor Ted Strickland to serve as assistant director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health.  He retired from public service in 2010 to accept a position as executive director of United Way of Greater Lorain County (Ohio, USA).

Bill was recognized as “Administrator of the Year” by Ohio Advocates for Mental Health in 1999 and 2007.  In 2002, he was recognized as an “Accomplished Graduate” of BGSU.  In 2010, he was also identified as one of the one-hundred “Most Prominent” alumni at BGSU’s Centennial Celebration.

Bill joined the International Policy Governance® Association (IPGA) as a board member in 2010.  Effective July 1, 2012, he resigned his board role to serve as IPGA’s volunteer CEO.

Bill lives in rural Penfield Township, Lorain County, Ohio, USA with his wife, Pam, a retired special education teacher.  Together, they enjoy four dogs and an African Grey parrot named “Woody”.

IPGA’s CEO is ably assisted by AMR (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA), an association management company, providing professional support services. The following members of AMR’s team of experienced specialists serve as a valuable resource to IPGA:

Diane Dufek, Owner and Membership Specialist
Erin Fontana, Conference Specialist
Vera Moore, Accounting Specialist
www.managedbyamr.com

IPGA’s website is maintained by Brian Booth.