John Harris, MEd, FAWHP
Senior Vice President, Health Support Division
Healthways

John Harris, M.Ed., FAWHP, is Senior Vice President, Healthways, a company specializing in health management in the corporate and health insurance sectors.  He is also the General Manager of the Health Support Division of Healthways.  He was formerly an Executive Vice President of Axia Health Management, which was acquired by Healthways in late 2006. 

Mr. Harris was the co-founder of Harris HealthTrends, Inc., an entrepreneurial corporation specializing in the prevention of disease and the reduction of health care costs, and served as its Chief Executive Officer for over 18 years.  Under his leadership Harris HealthTrends, Inc. grew from several employees to over 300, grossing nearly $13,000,000 in 2005, and performing work in all 50 U.S. states and six countries.  Through the development of multiple sales channels, Harris HealthTrends, Inc. developed a base of over 100 clients and helped shape the prevention industry into what it is today. 
 
Mr. Harris received a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University in 1977, and a Masters in Education degree from The University of Toledo, in 1982.  He has nearly 30 years of experience in the health management field, employed in both the corporate and private sectors, and was nominated for Toledo, Ohio Entrepreneur of the Year in 1990.

Mr. Harris is a Fellow in the Association for WorkSite Health Promotion, and served on its Board of Directors.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of Mercy Health Partners, an 11 hospital health system, and on the Board on Trustees of Lourdes College, the fastest growing college in the United States.  Other boards on which Mr. Harris serves include the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), Health Promotion Advocates, the Advisory Board of the Institute for Health and Productivity Management, and Volunteers of America, Northwest Ohio.

Mr. Harris has served as a section editor for the journal WorkSite Health, and is a columnist in the Health Promotion Practitioner.  He also chaired the Ohio Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and is a scholar in residence with several major universities.  Employee health programs developed by Harris HealthTrends, Inc. have been nationally recognized by the past Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, and several have won the prestigious C. Everett Koop and Wellness Councils of America awards. 

Mr. Harris speaks internationally, and has been the author of numerous publications on employee health, including Making a Difference - The Business Community Takes On Diabetes, commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the book Why and How People Change Health Behaviors, co-authored with Dr. Joseph Leutzinger.  Mr. Harris has served as a consultant to such organizations as Union Pacific Railroad, General Motors Corporation, BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., PepsiCo, Kellogg USA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Aetna.