Bill Driscoll
Tacoma, Washington

The North Woods have always been close at hand for Bill Driscoll. The Ducks Unlimited Diamond Sponsor in Perpetuity is among the fifth generation of his family to have lived in Minnesota and Washington State. His father, John, also a DU Diamond Sponsor, inspired Bill and his siblings to care for the outdoors. "Our family has always spent a lot of time in the woods," Bill says. "A legacy of trees was important to my father. He believed the thousands he planted and protected were not just for the future generations of his family, but also to sustain the health of the environment. Sustainability was on his mind long before the idea became fashionable."

The Driscoll family's connection to the forest began more than 100 years ago, when Bill's great-great-grandfather, Frederick Weyerhaeuser, and his partners founded the Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands. Both Bill and his father worked for Weyerhaeuser for many years, and Bill continued to work in the forest products industry for two decades. Today, he manages a commercial real estate business in Tacoma, Washington.

Bill remembers his childhood outdoor experiences as being a family affair. "My brother, parents, and grandparents spent a lot of time duck hunting along the Minnesota stretch of the Mississippi River," he says. "I don't hunt as much now, but it was really important to my father, and it is important to me to honor his love of the outdoors."

Bill's military service and career, and that of his wife, Dr. Lisa Mae Hoffman, have offered many opportunities to see the world. Bill served with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and Lisa also spent four years in China as part of her work as a cultural anthropologist, and they continue to visit the country regularly with their two children. All the family's travels have only deepened their appreciation for conservation and America's outdoor heritage.

Ducks Unlimited is one of many beneficiaries of Bill and Lisa's generosity in the Tacoma area. DU's mission aligns not only with the couple's environmental interests, but also with Bill's commitment to honoring his father's memory. The Driscoll Foundation's gifts support DU's Wings and Wetlands Initiative. This initiative focuses on waterfowl conservation in the Pacific Northwest and allows DU to seek out the best and most urgent projects for Pacific Flyway waterfowl.