Mike Harper has spent many years working with and serving the people of Alaska. He was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and is of Athabascan descent. Mike has been married to his wife, Jane, for 49 years, and they have one daughter, Kristi. He attended Lathrop High School, where he enjoyed sports and extracurricular activities. After graduating, he attended the University of Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Mike served in the U.S. Army as a small unit commander and was honorably discharged. His professional experience includes working as a community organizer for Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurALCAP), holding various positions with the State of Alaska, including management and serving as an aide to the governor, and working to improve life in rural Alaska Native villages. He also worked as a banker and CEO of a Native corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

Throughout his career, Mike has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including nonprofit institutions, Alaska Village Initiatives, the Salvation Army, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Doyon Ltd., and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. Since retiring, he has continued to serve his community by volunteering as a remedial math tutor at a junior high school, serving as director of sales for his wife’s novel, Unequally Divided, and helping transport his grandchildren to their sporting events.

Mike believes education is one of the best ways to help people move out of poverty and build better futures. He believes Alaska Pacific University, as a higher education institution, is well positioned to make a meaningful difference. He is interested in helping APU achieve this goal and establish a mutually beneficial partnership with Alaska Native organizations. Education and mentorship are also important to Mike because of his family’s legacy. In 1934, his aunt, Jane Harper Petri, became the first Alaska Native woman to graduate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She provided financial assistance to many UAF students, and Mike hopes to carry on that legacy by mentoring students. He is also the grandnephew of Walter Harper, the first person to summit Denali.