Community leader applies lessons learned from OHIO’s Executive MPA program

When Stephan Harris enrolled in Ohio University’s Executive MPA program, it wasn’t just another step in his career — it was a decision shaped by nearly two decades of reflection, unexpected detours and a growing commitment to public service.

Harris first attended Ohio University Southern in 2003 with plans to pursue a very different path. However, a series of major life events shifted his trajectory, ultimately leading him to pause his academic journey and focus on personal responsibilities and growth.

“Life happened,” Harris said. “But I always intended to finish.”

Nearly 20 years later, during the pandemic, Harris returned to complete his bachelor’s degree. That experience, he said, gave him the confidence to consider graduate school. But it wasn’t until a conversation with colleague Sarah Simmons introduced him to the Executive MPA program that everything clicked.

“I realized the MPA wasn’t just a degree,” Harris said. “It was the exact tool for the work I was already doing in my community.”

Today, Harris is using what he learns in real time. Through his leadership with the United Way of Northeast Kentucky and other nonprofit boards, he applies program evaluation methods, strategy and management concepts directly to his work in the community.

“I’m applying the lessons I learn in my classes the same day I learn them,” Harris said. “It makes the education meaningful.”

But Harris’ motivation runs deeper than professional growth. It’s tied to family — especially his 13-year-old son.

When Harris owned a benefits business for more than 11 years in Huntington, he once imagined his son might inherit it. But as his son grew, Harris began to rethink what kind of legacy mattered most.

“I started asking myself what I could really give him,” Harris said. “And it wasn’t a business. I wanted to give him a community.”

A legacy of public service

After moving to Ashland, Kentucky, for a workforce development role, Harris immersed himself in service — attending Rotary meetings, United Way events, workforce boards, advisory committees and Kiwanis gatherings.

“No one knew me three and a half years ago,” Harris said. “But service helped me build relationships. It became what people knew me for.”

Today, Harris serves as vice chair of the United Way of Northeast Kentucky and will soon step into the role of chair. He is also president of the 109-year-old Ashland Rotary Club, which recently completed the largest Rotary project in Kentucky history: a World War II Memorial Wall gifted to the city on Veterans Day.

“To give something lasting to a community — it means everything,” Harris said.

Earlier this year, Harris received the Marty Wall MPA Scholarship in Public Administration from the Voinovich School, an honor he views as meaningful recognition of the work he has committed himself to.

“Just being considered meant so much,” Harris said. “Being selected was overwhelming.”

Ultimately, Harris hopes the path he’s forging will give his son a different kind of inheritance — not a business, but a way of life.

“My son will grow up knowing service is normal,” Harris said. “That’s a legacy I can be proud of.”