Bill's Bio

Career

Bill Heller volunteered for the army during the Korean War and served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. When he finished his service, he went to college on the GI Bill and became a teacher. He taught his first class in 1959. He returned to school, earning a master’s degree and a doctorate, and became a professor of education.

Bill became dean and CEO of USF-St. Pete in 1992. He led the fight to make it a four-year campus so local students could get a degree right here at home. When he stepped down as head of the campus in 2002, the City of St. Petersburg declared August 21 “Bill Heller Day” and honored him for a “Decade of Excellence.”

He is now a tenured professor in the College of Education, training a new generation of teachers for Florida’s classrooms. He has also administered more than $6,000,000 in grants over the last fourteen years, including the Regional Dropout Prevention Collaborative, and a construction skills training program designed to help residents in St. Pete’s Challenge Area acquire job skills and get assistance in finding work.

Community Service Highlights

• Bayfront Health System, Board of Trustees, Chair, 2003-present
• Community Foundation of Greater St. Petersburg, Chair, 2004-present
• Community Foundation of Tampa Bay
• Community of Tampa Bay
• Family Resources, Inc.
• Family Services Centers, Inc.
• Florida International Museum
• Great Exploration (Hands on Children's Museum), Chair of Board of Directors, 2003- present
• Mahaffey Theater Foundation
• Palladium Theater, Board of Directors
• Pinellas Association for Retarded Children
• Pinellas County Arts Council, President-elect, 2006
• SPCA of Tampa Bay, President 2006
• St. Petersburg Museum of History

Award and Distinctions

• Florida Chamber of Commerce 2008 Honor Roll
• Outstanding Leadership Award, Council on Exceptional Children 2006
• Chancellor's Excellence in Service Award, USF, St. Petersburg 2005
• Community Service Award, Leadership St. Petersburg Alumni Association 2004
• Chairman's Award, Pinellas County Urban League 2004
• Award for "making a difference in the lives of children," Pinellas County School System 2002
• Florida Suncoast Opera Guild Award for contributions to the cultural enrichment of the cities of Pinellas County 2002
• Honored by the City of St. Petersburg for a "Decade of Excellence" with August 21 being proclaimed "Bill Heller Day" by the City of St. Petersburg 2002
• Special Appreciation Award for services to the neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) 2002
• Alex de Tocqueville Society Volunteer Service Award, United Way of Pinellas County 2000
• Romaine Mackie Leadership Award in Special Education, Pioneer Division, Council for Exceptional Children 2000
• Recognized for outstanding contributions to the field of Special Education as Co-editor of Teaching Exceptional Children from 1988-1996, Council for Exceptional Children
• Recognized for outstanding contributions to the Betterment of the Community, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce 1996
• E. Wallace Wallin Award, this is the highest honor bestowed by the Council and is predicated on excellence in leadership, service, and accomplishments in the education of children with exceptionalities, Council for Exceptional Children 1991
• Educational Leadership Award, Phi Delta Kappa, Charlotte Chapter 1991
• Outstanding Service Award to an ROTC unit, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Department of Defense 1991
• Inducted into the University of Northern Colorado's Hall of Fame as one of its top 100 graduates in the University's 100 year history 1989
• Administrator of the Year Award, North Carolina Association for Counseling and Development 1987
• Felix S. Barker Award for distinguished service to exceptional children in North Carolina, North Carolina Federation, Council for Exceptional Children 1984
• Teacher Educator of the Year Award, Teacher Education Division, Council of Exceptional Children and the Merrill Publishing Company. This is the highest award given in special education for exemplary accomplishment as a teacher/educator, 1981
• Outstanding Faculty Member, College of Education, University of Alabama 1979
• Awarded a Presidential Citation for Exemplary Performance as Vice-Chairman, White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals 1977
• Commendation for Exemplary Service as Superintendent of Bryce Hospital, Alabama Senate Resolution #117 1976
• Commissioner's Award, Commendation for Exemplary Service as Superintendent of Bryce Hospital, Alabama Department of Mental Health 1976
• American Association of College of Teacher Education Award for Distinguished Achievement for the Reality Oriented Teacher Education Program (ROTE) 1974
• Two Merit Awards for Exemplary Service in Government, U.S. Office of Education, Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, Washington, D.C. 1970, 1971
• Recipient, P.L. 85-826 Doctoral Fellowship in Special Education 1963, 1964
• Outstanding Advocacy and Significant Contribution, CARD - The Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities, 2008
• Community Leadership Award, DIRECTIONS for Mental Health, Inc., 2008
• Advocacy Award, Family Service Centers, Inc., 2007
• Outstanding Leadership on Educational Issues , FABES - Florida Association of Bilingual and ESOL Supervisors, 2007