​​Herrmann Spetzler

Healthcare Leader

Humboldt State University

Herrmann Spetzler (M.A. '87) has made nationally recognized contributions to primary health care in rural California. He is a model of community service. Mr. Spetzler's achievements in expanding access to medical and dental care in remote parts of the state exemplify the commitment to public service that is nurtured within the California State University and Humboldt State University.

For close to four decades, Mr. Spetzler has been Chief Executive Officer of the Humboldt Open Door Clinic. Under his farsighted stewardship, the original storefront facility now comprises a network of ten clinics and two mobile clinics, one medical and one dental.

Mr. Spetzler has been president of the North Coast Clinics Network, spanning three counties, since 1994. The network provides some 58,000 visits each year.

He is the founder and past president of the California State Rural Health Association, the founder of the Northern Rural Roundtable, and a co-founder and former president of the California Primary Care Association. Recognized by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the California State Legislature for his dedication to accessible medical care, Mr. Spetzler currently is president of the Clinic Networks of Northern California. This system of community care stretches from the Bay Area to the Oregon border.

Mr. Spetzler's service encompasses numerous current and former positions. They include the Statewide Primary Care Advisory Group to the State Health Director; the Rural and Farm Workers Health Advisory Group; the California Association of Alcoholism Recovery Homes; the Humboldt Child Care Council; and the California Association of Free-Standing Birth Centers.

In recognition of his enduring and extraordinary impact on North Coast rural health care, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and Humboldt State University are proud to confer upon Herrmann Spetzler the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.