Outstanding Alumni - 2011
Bill Hawkins
Bemidji State University Graduate 1974
After graduating from Bemidji State in 1974, Bill Hawkins spent six years teaching high school English and coaching at Columbia Heights and St. Francis high schools before deciding to focus his efforts on Hawkins Enterprises, Inc., a company he founded in 1978. Since then he has become one of the most sought-after sales and marketing consultants in the country and speaks to tens of thousands of people annually. He has authored a highly successful series of talks on electronic commerce and the future of the Internet, and also developed a business training series that has been translated into 11 languages. A charter member of Worldwide Group, LLC, Hawkins serves on its board and has helped much of the training and education that organization delivers around the world. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Independent Business Owners Association International and was Chairman of the IBOAI in 2008. The IBOAI is the largest small business trade association in the world.
Hawkins has been involved in a number of philanthropic efforts and ministries. In 1997, he coordinated flood relief for Grand Forks, ND, and help raise more than $500,000 to help that community's rebuilding efforts.
Hawkins lives in Ramsey with his wife Sandy. They have two daughters, Kristen and Katie.