Dr. William Spencer

Dr. William “Spence” Spencer is a seasoned pracademic, educator, and operational leader with more than 20 years of experience in homeland security, emergency management, criminal justice, public administration, and local government leadership. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Slippery Rock University, where he teaches in the Homeland and Corporate Security Program and develops future emergency management and public safety professionals.
Dr. Spencer also serves as the City Manager of Punxsutawney Borough, overseeing five departments, 35 employees, eight direct reports, and a $2.5 million annual budget. In this role, he directs all municipal operations—including finance, public safety, facilities, fleet management, community and economic development programs, and the borough’s strategic, emergency operations, hazard mitigation, and continuity planning programs.
Previously, Dr. Spencer served as the Deputy Associate Director of Operations and Preparedness for the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), a GS-15 leadership position responsible for six bureaus: Preparedness, Logistics, Readiness & Response, Interoperability, Safety & Security, and Community Outreach. His work included oversight of the District Interoperability Program, COOP initiatives, NIMS compliance, districtwide plans (THIRA, CRA, EOPs), operational fleet management, and the transition planning for the new District Operations Center.
Prior to his service in Washington, D.C., Dr. Spencer held multiple leadership roles with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), including serving as the first Deputy Director of the Western Area Office. He provided operational support, planning guidance, and emergency response coordination for 24 counties and numerous state agencies, leading regional training, interoperability, and preparedness initiatives.
Dr. Spencer’s career includes extensive field experience as both a law enforcement officer in Punxsutawney and Hastings Boroughs and as a Military Intelligence Officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, where he served as a Tactical Intelligence Officer, Acting Battalion S2, and Rear Command Officer-in-Charge for a 125-soldier engineering company.
To date, Dr. Spencer has activated or supported 175 NIMS Type III or greater events, taught more than 150 college courses, delivered dozens of peer-to-peer trainings, and presented at major state and national conferences. His contributions have been recognized through multiple leadership appointments, a mayoral proclamation establishing “William Spencer Day,” and qualification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to serve as a K-12 Superintendent.
Dr. Spencer holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, dual master’s degrees in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and a B.A. in Religious Studies with ROTC commissioning. He is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Administration and Leadership for Higher Education at Slippery Rock University. His professional certifications include Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), Fusion Center Liaison Officer, Professional and Continuity Practitioner designations, Act 120 and Act 235 law enforcement instructor credentials, and numerous FEMA and public safety certifications.
Driven by core principles—striving for synergy, valuing relationships, modeling the standard, empowering others, measuring outcomes, and balancing data with intuition—Dr. Spencer remains committed to strengthening community resilience, elevating public service, and advancing the integration of theory and practice in emergency management and homeland security.