Bill McGowan

In January 2024, Bill McGowan joined NACCOP-AEGIS, serving as the sales associate of NACCOP-AEGIS/ CleryEdge. Bill began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving 18 of his 21-year distinguished service as a Criminal Investigator. Throughout his military career, he served as a senior investigator overseeing Criminal Investigation offices, served as a hostage negotiator, and ended his career at the Department of Defense US Army Criminal Investigations School as a Senior Instructor.  Bill was deployed to the Gulf War, and throughout his career received numerous awards including the Meritorious Service Medal.  After his military service, Bill joined the Aiken County Sherriff’s Office as a Lieutenant overseeing the Forensic Division where he was the senior Crime Scene Investigator, arson investigator, and member of the hostage negotiation team.  During his time with SO, Bill conducted numerous investigations into sexual assaults and homicides including one of the county’s largest serial rapist/murder cases, resulting in the suspect’s life in prison sentence.  Bill joined the private sector joining a large national bank as a fraud investigator conducting in-depth investigations of suspicious financial activity, money laundering, and financial fraud cases.

Bill joined Higher Education in 2010 when he joined Lees McRae College. There he served on the President’s Cabinet, overseeing security, maintenance, grounds, and housekeeping departments, along with Clery Act Compliance. In 2015, Bill went just a short distance up the road to become Appalachian State University’s first Clery Act Compliance Coordinator.  Drawing from his experience as a trained law enforcement officer and criminal investigator, Bill quickly identified the university’s compliance shortcomings and brought the university up to speed with the Clery Act Compliance regulations and the Drug-Free Schools Act. Bill has presented on several Clery Act Compliance topics at the two NACCOP conferences and the UNC System Safety conference.  Bill has been a member of NACCOP for over 8 years and is a certified CCO.

Bill joined NACCOP-AEGIS and D. Stafford & Associates in 2024.

Bill is a graduate of Gadsen State College with an Associate’s Degree in General Education and a Bachelor’s Degree, Summa Cum Laude in Criminal Justice from Lees McRae College.