Bill was born and raised in Menasha, WI, and graduated from Menasha High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Botany. After graduation from college, he was commissioned a second Lieutenant in the US Air Force and served for five years, leaving the Air Force as a Captain. After the Air Force, he spent the next thirty years working in the property and casualty insurance claims business. Shortly after retirement, Bill moved to the Waupaca area. One of the main reasons for relocating to Waupaca was the proximity to Hartman Creek State Park. Bill has served on the Friends of Hartman Creek Board of Directors for many years, four years as president, and currently as the treasurer. He has also completed the Master Naturalist Course the UW Madison Division of Extension offers.