Bill Haines

Meet our new Scout Executive, Bill Haines. Bill became Scout Executive of the Indian Nations Council effective January 4, 2008, having most recently served in the same position for the Great Alaska Council in Anchorage, Alaska.

Bill started his career with the Boy Scouts of America in 1985 as a District Executive in Montgomery, Alabama with the Tuckabatchee Area Council. In 1990 he moved to the Southeast Louisiana Council in New Orleans, Louisiana as a Senior District Executive. In New Orleans, he also served as Field Director from 1991-1993 and Director of Field Services from 1994-2003, responsible for over 20,000 youth and managing a budget of $3.5 million.

Promoted to the position of Scout Executive in 2003, Bill served the Western Alaska Council out of Anchorage, Alaska. While there he oversaw a merger with the former Southeast Alaska Council into the newly formed Great Alaska Council, serving a territory twice the size of Texas. Under Bill’s leadership, the Council raised over $11 million of a major capital spending campaign of $22 million to upgrade the Denali High Adventure Base, a nationally recognized high adventure camp.

On a personal side, Bill is the second eldest of six brothers who were all Eagle Scouts. Born in Saraland, Alabama, a suburb of Mobile, AL, Bill enjoyed Scouting as a youth remembering fondly the time he got to spend with his father, who just happened to be his Scoutmaster. He graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Degree in Outdoor Recreation and Park Management. Bill has been married to his beautiful wife, Michele, for 26 years, and they are proud parents of 3 sons ages 25, 25, and 19. The twins graduated from Nichols State University, and the youngest, Justin, is a Freshman at University of Alaska. Coming from a family of 6 boys, and having 3 boys of his own, Bill shared that he and Michele are delighted to be the proud grandparents of a granddaughter. His hobbies include spending time with his family, golf, traveling, and lately house hunting/selling. Bill says if anyone is looking for a good deal on a house in Anchorage, he can fix you up. He shared that his golf game has a bad slice to the right and that he likes courses with wide fairways and lots of doglegs to the right.

Bill is an Eagle Scout, James E. West Fellow, Vigil Honor Member in the Order of the Arrow, and a survivor of twin teenage boys! An interesting fact: one of Bill’s brothers is also a Scout Executive, serving the West Tennessee Council.

Bill is looking forward to serving the youth and families of our Council and will be holding “Fireside Chats” at District Roundtables in the next two months (Twin Arrows is scheduled for April) to get acquainted with leaders. Welcome to our Council, Bill.