Bill Shibley has been a Benton REA member since 1994 when he and his family moved to West Richland, and a board trustee since 2024. He has worked for cooperatives throughout his career at both Farm Credit and CHS. He has extensive knowledge in management, finance, and natural resource.
After graduating with a degree in agricultural and resource economics, Bill went to work for John Deere with stints in Colorado, California and Montana. He longed to get closer to home and went to work for Northwest Farm Credit Services, eventually coming to the Tri-Cities in 1994. While working for NWFCS he completed his MBA and went on to become a regional VP, supervising offices throughout the Columbia Basin in Washington and Oregon. He left NWFCS to work as the general manager of CHS-Connell Grain and then managed Harvest Fresh Produce. He returned to agricultural banking and now works for Wheatland Bank in Pasco.
Bill has been active in the area serving as president of both the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was a 4-H club leader for 10+ years and currently serves on the Market Stock Committee for the Benton Franklin County Fair. Bill is chair of the Washington Wine Industry Foundation Board.
Bill and his wife, Kim, raised four kids who all graduated from the Richland School District. Their youngest child was selected for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., in 2019, which opened his eyes to the wonderful public power system we have in the Pacific Northwest. Seeing its impact, Bill now wants to give back to the Benton REA by serving as a trustee.
