Mike Harner

Biography

Mike Harner took the position of Chief Staff Officer and Assistant to the President at Hillsdale College in 2006. As Chief Staff Officer, he coordinates the activities of the Office of the President and is involved in strategic planning and staff development for the College. Prior to assuming the role of Chief Staff Officer, Harner was Director of Alumni Relations for Hillsdale College from 2004 to 2006. From 1982 to 2002, he served in the U.S. Navy as an aviator flying helicopters and multi-engine transports, reaching the rank of Commander. Upon retiring from the Navy, he was general manager for the Sunset Hills Country Club from 2002 to 2004.

Harner graduated from Hillsdale College in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a history minor. While at Hillsdale, he was a member of the golf team for three years and the football team for two years, as well as a writer for Hillsdale College’s student newspaper, the Collegian. He was also jointly responsible for reestablishing the Sigma Chi fraternity on campus. He received a master’s degree in political science from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1996.

Harner is a member of the Tax Increment Finance Authority of Hillsdale, an organization that provides money for the improvement of city businesses with the goal of building a better tax base in Hillsdale. He has also been the faculty advisor for the men’s golf club, starting in 2011, and has taught golf classes at Hillsdale. He and his wife Carin, also a 1982 Hillsdale College graduate, have three sons.