State Board Director William Thiele and his family milk cows and farm in southern Butler County. Thiele and his brother are the sixth generation to live and work on the farm, which was started in 1868. Off the farm, Thiele is a drone operator and aerial photographer for St. Luke Lutheran Church and other organizations in the local community.

William is an active Farm Bureau member, previously serving on the Butler County Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals (YAP) committee, as the Butler County Farm Bureau Government Relations Director (Co-Chair), and currently as a Butler County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

He won the Young Farmers & Ranchers Social Media Award in 2017 and the YAP Discussion Meet Award in 2020. He and his family were also named the Butler County Conservation District “Farmer of the Year” in 2018.

State Board Director Thiele started a “Future Flyers” drone 4-H club in 2019 and has been involved with the Butler 4-H Development Committee and PA No-Till Alliance.