President/Chief Executive Officer
Dustin Watkins became President/CEO of Harbor on October 9, 2023.
Dustin is a long-time resident of the Toledo area, and previously worked in the developmental disability field for over 23 years, serving adults and adolescents with autism at Bittersweet Farms (Bittersweet, Inc.) in Northwest Ohio, which included 11 years as the program director/assistant executive director, and over 6 years as the organization’s executive director.
Dustin received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kent State University, and his Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Bowling Green State University. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and received his graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas.
Dustin has served as a board member of the Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA), the Harbor board of trustees, and served as president of the Autism Provider Exchange (APEX), a national association of autism service providers.
During his time as executive director of Bittersweet Farms, the organization received several distinguished awards and honors, including the 2022 BBB Torch Award for Ethics, the Blade Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Community Support/Local Charity” in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and for “Best Place to Work” in 2022 and 2023, respectively, as well as the Toledo City Paper’s Best of Toledo Award for “Best Charity/Nonprofit” in 2021.
In his current role, Dustin’s expertise, knowledge, and leadership continues to develop a first-in-class strong, stable, and progressive integrated behavioral health organization for Harbor locations in Defiance, Hamilton, Lucas, Williams, Wood, and Wyandot counties.