Ebeten William Ivara hails from Itigidi in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria.  He attended Government Primary School, Obubra; St. Brendan Secondary School, Iyamoyong; Institute of Education, Uyo and the University of Calabar where he studied Public Administration.
Ivara is a career civil servant who rose through the ranks to Directorship. He started his career in Cross River Broadcasting Corporation where he worked for 13 years in various capacities: Studio Manager; Producer, Commercial Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. Thereafter, he took a lateral transfer to the Cross River Civil Service, specifically, the Department of Information, Governor’s Office. Here he was at different times, Chief Commercial Officer and Assistant Director. He was then deployed to the State Education Board and later the Ministry of Education.  He was later posted to the State Planning Commission, where he rose to the position of Director, Planning, Research and Statistics.

He was also at the Ministry of Environment and later, the Ministry of Works where he retired in 2017 after 35 years of meritorious service.