EXPERIENCE

Bill has extensive experience in leadership development. Most recently, he taught at Harvard Kennedy School, where he ran the leader development program for active duty military and intelligence fellows and directed the top-level executive education program for senior managers and executives. As the Commandant (president) of the Army War College, he designed and ran the Army’s strategic leadership program for one to three-star generals, while leading the college in its mission to help senior officers and civilians make the transition from operational to strategic leadership. As the Commandant of Cadets at West Point, he led the leadership and character development programs for the 4400 cadets. In over 42 months in combat in three wars, Bill led an engineering company in the first Gulf War, commanded a 3000-soldier brigade in the Iraq War, served as General Petraeus’ personal assistant during the Iraq Surge, and commanded over 17,000 troops supplying all resource needs of the 160,000 U.S. and international force in Afghanistan in 2011-12. He also served as the Army’s senior liaison to the U.S. Congress and controlled all water resources in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest while commanding in the Corps of Engineers. Bill has a significant personal history as a team builder and a well-known professional reputation for developing ethical, courageous, and creative leaders. He is known for collegiality, consensus building, and resourcing, and creating positive change in large organizations.

SCHOLARLY WORK/PUBLICATIONS/AWARDS

He has numerous military awards including two Defense Service Medals and two Bronze Star Medals as well as the Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Combat Action Badge, and Air Assault qualification. His first book was published in October 2021, Accomplishing the Impossible- Leadership that Launched Revolutionary Change. His book chapters and articles include “Crisis in the Civil-Military Triangle (2020), “Civil-Military Relations: The Role of Military Leaders in Strategy Making” and “Ensuring Effective Military Voice” in Parameters (2015 and 2017), “The Balance of Leadership in an Army at War” in Army Magazine (2006); and two monographs on security in Northeast Asia, “Past its Prime? The Future of the US-Japan Alliance” and “Paths Diverging? The Next Decade in the US-Japan Security Alliance,” published by the Strategic Studies Institute in 2004.

EDUCATION

Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA

Ph.D., Political Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Master of Arts, Political Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Bachelors of Science, Civil Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

PERSONAL

Bill is married to a former Army nurse, Debbie, and they have three adult children, all officers in the US Army, and two Portuguese Water Dogs.