Bill Hilty
Encyclopedia
William J. "Bill" Hilty (born November 2, 1938) is a Minnesota
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
representing District 8A, which includes portions of Carlton
, Pine
and St. Louis
counties in the northeastern part of the state. A Democrat
, he is also a business owner, partner and consultant.
Hilty was first elected in 1996, and has been re-elected every two years since then. He is currently a member of the Civil Law, the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance, and the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance committees. He previously chaired the Finance Subcommittee for the Energy Finance and Policy Division during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums, and the Governmental Operations Subcommittee for Government Structures, Reform and Efficiency during the 1997-1998 biennium.
Hilty was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Ashland High School in Ashland, Ohio
. He went on to Purdue University
in Lafayette, Indiana
, graduating with a B.S.
in psychology in 1962. He continued at Purdue University, earning his M.A.
in English in 1964. He later attended the University of Minnesota
in Minneapolis
, progressing to A.B.D.
in 1970. He was also a teaching associate
at the University of Minnesota from 1964-1970.
Hilty was a partner in Sawhill Incorporated from 1971–1978, and has been president of Minnesota Panel Systems since 1978. He is also a consultant
for Nemadji Energy Company. Active in his local community, he served on the Finlayson
School Board from 1986–1989, and is a member of the Greater Minnesota Coalition, of the Midwest Progressive Elected Officials Network, of the Right to be Rural Coalition, and of the National Conferences of State Legislatures. He is also a board member of the Northern Technology Initiative and of the Audubon Society of the Northwoods.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
representing District 8A, which includes portions of Carlton
Carlton County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,671 people, 12,064 households, and 8,408 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 13,721 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, Pine
Pine County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,530 people, 9,939 households, and 6,917 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 15,353 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
and St. Louis
St. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
counties in the northeastern part of the state. A Democrat
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, he is also a business owner, partner and consultant.
Hilty was first elected in 1996, and has been re-elected every two years since then. He is currently a member of the Civil Law, the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance, and the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance committees. He previously chaired the Finance Subcommittee for the Energy Finance and Policy Division during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 bienniums, and the Governmental Operations Subcommittee for Government Structures, Reform and Efficiency during the 1997-1998 biennium.
Hilty was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Ashland High School in Ashland, Ohio
Ashland, Ohio
Ashland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Ashland County. The population was 21,249 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. He went on to Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, graduating with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in psychology in 1962. He continued at Purdue University, earning his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in English in 1964. He later attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, progressing to A.B.D.
Doctor of Philosophy, All But Dissertation
The term all but dissertation is a mostly unofficial term identifying a stage in the process of obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree or equivalent research doctorate in the United States and Canada...
in 1970. He was also a teaching associate
Teaching associate
A teaching associate is an academically qualified and registered graduate student, usually in full-time residence, employed temporarily to teach freshman- and sophomore-level courses in an American university...
at the University of Minnesota from 1964-1970.
Hilty was a partner in Sawhill Incorporated from 1971–1978, and has been president of Minnesota Panel Systems since 1978. He is also a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for Nemadji Energy Company. Active in his local community, he served on the Finlayson
Finlayson, Minnesota
Finlayson is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 315 at the 2010 census. The city's area was incorporated from Finlayson Township, the remainder of which is still adjacent to it....
School Board from 1986–1989, and is a member of the Greater Minnesota Coalition, of the Midwest Progressive Elected Officials Network, of the Right to be Rural Coalition, and of the National Conferences of State Legislatures. He is also a board member of the Northern Technology Initiative and of the Audubon Society of the Northwoods.