Bill Anderson

Assistant Secretary

Portrait of William AndersonWilliam C. (Bill) Anderson was appointed assistant secretary for aquatic resources in December 2016. In this capacity, Anderson oversees the units responsible for boating, fishing, water quality monitoring, ocean and coastal resource management, efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the Power Plant Research Program and Maryland Geological Survey.

Anderson brings more than 30 years of innovative business and government experience. He served as assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force from 2005 to 2008, where he directed energy strategy, logistics/supply chain, installations management, environmental sustainability, safety and occupational health policy among other initiatives. He was decorated for exceptional civilian service and received the 2007 Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management.

His career also includes 15 years with General Electric Co., where he managed environmental, real estate and occupational health services and safety for 400 facilities worldwide. He is highly regarded as an expert in energy sustainability and military logistical matters, working as a consultant, lecturer and frequent guest speaker on those subjects.

​Anderson is a graduate of Washington College in Chestertown and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Syracuse University College of Law. A rower in college, he coached intercollegiate rowing at Syracuse and the University of Miami. He is an avid cyclist. Anderson lives on a rescue horse farm in Salisbury with his wife Debbi and daughter Shawna.