Bill Schulte wants to be your next Commissioner. Bill has a great deal to offer Lewis County. Following a distinguished 24 year career in the United States Coast Guard, rising from enlisted to Commander, Bill had the unique opportunity to choose his own home port. He chose Lewis County!

Upon his retirement from the military he had four goals he wanted to fulfill: to live in the country, build his own home, finish his degree, and involve himself in serving his community.

Bill lives in Dryad with Susi, his wife of 29 years, and his two teenage sons, Alex and Joseph. The family resides on Leudinghaus Road, just 8 miles from the city of Pe Ell; it doesn't get more country than that! Bill and his boys built the home the family lives in. In 2005, Bill earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Bill dove in with enthusiasm in accomplishing his last goal: involving himself in serving his community.

He joined the Pe Ell Horizons Project, becoming chairman in 2006. He completed a Master Gardeners course, and participates in both a men's Bible Study Group and a Retired Coast Guard Fellowship. He has joined Chehalis Rotary, Lewis County Farm Bureau, representing the bureau at the Chehalis River Basin Partnership, and recently has enjoyed his service with the Lewis County Public Facilities District. A lifelong Republican, Bill began attending local Republican functions 3 years ago and serves as the elected Precinct Committee Officer for Dryad.

Bill and his family went through the flood of 2007 with 7ft 4in of water in their home. They consider themselves fortunate, and as survivors, they are very proud of their community.

Bill wants to make a difference and is ready and willing to share his leadership talents with Lewis County, his piece of heaven, the county he chose and chooses to call home.

Bill Schulte enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1978, and following basic and specialty training was assigned as a Quartermaster onboard United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) COMANCHE. He was selected for Officer Candidate School and was commissioned an Ensign in 1984. His first commissioned assignment was on USCGC SALVIA as Deck Watch Officer, Administration Officer, and Operations Officer.

His other sea duty assignments include USS DAVID R. RAY, a Navy destroyer, as Navigator; USCGC MONHEGAN as Commanding Officer and USCGC DILIGENCE as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer. During his tour as Commanding Officer of USCGC MONHEGAN, he made four drug seizures, the largest being 2,700 pounds of cocaine.

Ashore, Commander Schulte completed a tour at Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as Training Liaison Officer, scheduling and evaluating Coast Guard cutters and U.S. Navy ships. As Lieutenant, he served at the Coast Guard Personnel Command as Central Assignment Coordinator, supervising the enlisted assignment process. Bill was assigned a joint tour at "Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific" as senior Coast Guard officer acting as liaison between the Navy, Commander Coast Guard Pacific Area, and cutters going through training in Pearl Harbor.

Commander Schulte's personal decorations include two Meritorious Service Medals, three Coast Guard Commendation Medals, Navy Achievement Medal, Commandant's Letter of Commendation, Expert Rifleman Medal, and Expert Pistol Medal.

Bill embraced his time in the military and enjoyed serving his country.

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Bill is 52 years old and has been married to Susi for 29 years. They have five children and two grandchildren. Susi is currently working as an Insurance Specialist at Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute. Their oldest daughter is Heidi (Schulte) Zipperer. She lives in Folkston, Georgia with her husband Lewis (a welder at the Naval shipyard) and their son Jacob. Elizabeth (Schulte) Moseley lives in Dayton, Ohio, with her husband, Michael (active duty USAF) and their daughter Caitlin. Danielle Schulte lives in Madison, Wisconsin and enjoys her chosen career in computer science. Alex Schulte graduated from Pe Ell High School and is attending Centralia Community College. Joseph Schulte is a junior at Pe Ell High School.

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• Horizons Project
  • Community group that identifies and fights rural poverty with groups in Pe Ell and Mossyrock
• Master Gardener
• Chehalis Rotary
• Lewis County Farm Bureau
• Toastmasters Club 1290
• Lewis County Public Facilities District
  • A vehicle to attract business to Lewis County
• Republican Precinct Committee Officer (Dryad)

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