Sara Howe (she/her) is CEO of Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC).  Prior to coming to APNC, she held leadership positions with the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) and the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health (IABH). As the executive vice president of IPHCA, Sara spearheaded the successful launch of a new virtual conferencing program to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining the existing services and support infrastructure. Prior to her time at IPHCA, Sara served as the CEO of the IABH for nearly 20 years. During her tenure with IABH, she led the association through a significant mission and membership expansion. Sara’s role as a youth leader in addiction prevention programs seeded her passion for health promotion and wellness. Her experience as a breast cancer survivor has significantly fueled her passion and commitment to improving healthcare. 

Sara holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health promotion from Purdue University and an MBA from Purdue’s Daniels School of Business. Sara previously served on the board of directors and as public policy chair of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Sara’s favorite hobby is watching the New York Yankees and her favorite athlete is Mariano Rivera.  Sara has made a guest appearance on the Dr. Oz show and learned how to shoot free throws from Michael Jordan.