THE ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA, INC

 
In Harrisburg and the surrounding communities, many know William Alexander as a man who gives most of his time serving others and giving back to the community.  In his work and community activities, both past and present, you will recognize that not only is he a servant leader, but he has been one for a very long time.

Bill and his family have a rich history working with many organizations within the Harrisburg area. He is past Campaign Chair and Board Chair of the United Way of the Capital Region, past Chair of the Capital Region Chamber, and cofounder and past Chair of CREDC.

Much of Bill’s work experience has been focused on the town of Hershey. Since 1963, H.B Alexander Enterprises, a large, family-owned construction business owned by Bill’s family, has received nearly all construction contracts from multiple Hershey organizations including the Milton Hershey School, Hershey Foods Corporation, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company (HERCO), and the Penn State M.S. Hershey Medical Center. Bill began his business relationship with the Hershey Entities in the 1970’s when, as the third-generation principal and CEO of Alexander Enterprises, he took on various contracts including rebuilding Memorial Hall and starting the first phases of the more centralized campus for the Milton Hershey School for The Hershey Trust Company. In 1989, he was appointed to the Milton Hershey School Board of Managers and, in 1997, he was appointed Chairman of the Board and remained until 2001. He has also served on the Board of Hershey Foods and The Hershey Trust.

Outside of the Hershey Entities, Bill has served on numerous boards throughout the area as well, including Herr Foods, The Rather Companies, Penn National Mutual Insurance Company, Geisinger Health System, and Highmark Blue Shield. He was also formerly the managing director of the Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center at the WhartonSchool of the University of Pennsylvania.

Not only has Bill been a constant servant in our community, he also spent a few years serving abroad in an international community as well. Both he and his wife spent a term at Daystar University, a previous satellite campus of Messiah College in Nairobi, Kenya. Daystar’s mission is to develop managers, professionals, and scholars to be effective Christian servant leaders through the integration of Christian faith and holistic learning for the transformation of church and society. Bill taught business courses to both local and international students. He also served as a visiting professor at IILM, a Business School located in New Delhi, India.

Currently, Bill is a professor of family business studies at the well known and prestigious University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Applying his background in his family’s business, he is able to pass on his knowledge and expertise of family businesses to students through teaching various courses. As a Senior Associate at The Telos Group, a consulting and education firm that provides specialized services to family and closely-held companies, Bill’s areas of consulting focus on governance structures, implementing effective boards of directors, successor professional empowerment, and the succession process. He is also a member of the President’s Leadership Council at MessiahCollege.

Looking at Bill’s past and current activities and services for the local and international community, there is one thing you cannot deny – Bill Alexander is a servant leader.