Candidate for
Council Member; City of Fremont

Biography of Bill Harrison Small Business Owner, CPA, Councilmember

Bill Harrison is proud to be lifelong resident of Fremont. Bill was born in Fremont and continues the legacy of community service that his parents, Herb and Gerry Harrison began. They taught him the importance of giving back to the community and making it a better place for everyone to live, work, build friendships and raise a family.

Working as a small business owner, helping his clients as a CPA, and listening to constituents as Councilmember, Bill knows that jobs are the key to Fremont's economy and overall well being. He's worked closely with our community for years to keep and create jobs in Fremont because when families have secure employment, the housing market improves, our schools get better and our neighborhoods are safer. Bill is co-owner of Harrison Accounting Group, Inc., founded in 1948. The firm is the oldest accounting firm in Fremont (since 1954) and still has its headquarters here while servicing clients throughout the western United States.

Bill was elected to the Fremont City Council in 2006 after serving on the Fremont Planning Commission from 2001 to 2006. As Councilmember, Bill's policy decisions have always been driven by his outreach and close communication with his constituents.

He has also served on several boards and assisted non-profit organizations to further address our neighborhood concerns on issues related to children, transportation, health care, education and economic development.

Bill currently serves on the Warm Springs BART Policy Advisory Committee and the Sunol Express Lane Joint Powers Authority as part of the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC).

He has also served as President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Kidango (formerly Tri-Cities Children's Centers), President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Children's Fund of the Bay Area, as a member of the Centerville & City of Fremont Combined Project Area Committee, and as Director and Community Service Chair for the Fremont Kiwanis Club. Continuing his passion towards children's charities, Bill has joined the Board of Directors of Raquel's Kids, a non-profit organization formed to provide health insurance to disadvantaged youth, and to promote innovative educational opportunities for at-risk students. Bill is also a former member of the Alameda County Assessment Appeals Board and is currently the Treasurer of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce Dollars for Scholars program.

Bill's interest in community service began while attending Ohlone Community College in Fremont. As a student, he interned in Congressman Don Edward's Washington, D.C. office and Assemblymember Delaine Eastin's District Office.

Bill is a product of Fremont public schools, attending Glenmoor Elementary (where his oldest child attends today), Centerville Junior High and Washington High School. Bill eventually went on to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with a Concentration in Accounting at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Bill is happily married to his wife, Jennifer, and they are the proud parents of two boys, Bryce age 8 and Hayden age 6.