Bill has a long attachment with Extension, starting in 1974 as an extension economist at Washington State University. He came to the NDSU Extension Service in 1979 and served as assistant director for agriculture and community resource development, associate director and interim director,  and was appointed director in 1988. As director Bill was a strong spokesman for Extension and served on and chaired the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy. After his retirement from Extension he continued to be a strong supporter of extension programs in his role as executive vice president of the North Dakota Farm Bureau. He serves as chair of the North Dakota 4-H Foundation and is a member of the North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee and its immediate past chair. While he served as chair, the soil conservation budget was combined with the NDSU Extension Service, building a stronger program relationship between the two organizations.