As a former Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bill has an extensive understanding of federal policies relating to wetlands, development, federal land acquisition, natural resource management and administration. 

Bill is also experienced in Endangered Species Act listings and delistings, Section 7 permits and Habitat Conservation Plans. He was the lead official in the delisting of the bald eagle and the grey wolf in the Midwest. 

For nearly a decade, Bill served as Director of the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region. With a $250 million operating budget, Bill led Interior negotiation teams involved with federal, state, and Indian tribal land issues. He was Interior’s lead staff person for the largest land exchange in Interior history: the “Collier Exchange” involving the federal government’s acquisition of 150,000 acres throughout Florida.

Bill's experience with Dawson & Associates includes successful consulting on maritime remote docking, gas pipelines and pipeline river crossing, land exchanges, housing developments and wind projects.