Bill is from a military family, and his father spent many years overseas and travelling. As a result, Bill was raised by his grandparents in West Virginia. At the age of 17, with no great fondness of school and a limited world view, Bill enlisted in the United States Marines. After his four-year service, he had gained significant experience and realized that his lack of education placed him near the bottom following orders from those who had more schooling. Not necessarily better people, just better educated.
With a new zest for learning, Bill worked hard at many menial jobs to afford an education and literally talked his way into Washington University. Here he was beguiled by Sherri who was teaching Spanish, and they've stuck together ever since. They moved several times as Sherri continued her education and her career, and Bill continued his education too, including the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. Not bad for the first in his family to go past high school.
Along the way, Bill observed that people were not treated equally or fairly and that many of the social ills were systemic. He determined to make things better, and to improve himself along the way to leverage his ability to make a difference.
When their kids were four and five years old, they moved to Da
llas, Texas and that became home for many years. Bill's experience in tech was focused on using computers to bring about a more egalitarian society. His company, NewPower99 sells kits that teach people how to replace batteries for just about anything. Helping people reuse equipment and reduce their waste.
When his son came to Montreal to attend McGill College, he and Sherri realized how wonderful we Canadians are. So much so, that they packed up, picked up and left Dallas for Ottawa. (A certain US election may have helped them come north.)
Bill credits Rotary and their Baha'i faith for helping them get settled in Ottawa and keeping them focused on living a meaningful life.