Bill Murphy

Bill has worked in the field of disability issues for over 45 years, starting his career as a special education teacher right after attending Syracuse University. In 1980, he became a founding member, and first Executive Director, of what was then called the Epilepsy Association of Greater Boston and is now Epilepsy Foundation New England. In 2005, Bill went to work for the national Epilepsy Foundation as Director of State Government Relations, until retiring in 2013. Retirement didn’t last long! In 2014, he “came full circle” and is again with our local Epilepsy Foundation affiliate, serving as Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for Epilepsy Foundation New England. For several years, he returned to the National office each Spring to conduct their “Teens Speak Up” program; bringing teens from across the country who live with epilepsy to learn about advocating for epilepsy and to visit with their legislators on Capitol Hill. In 2026, Bill, and his colleagues on the EFNE Advocacy Team were thrilled to hold EFNE's initial Teen Advocacy Program (TAP), bringing together teens living in our region for a weekend of fun, community building, and developing their own advocacy skills. Now living in Newport, RI, Bill can often be found on the highway traveling to Boston, Providence, Concord, Montpelier, or Augusta to promote public policies beneficial to people with epilepsy and their families.