Bill Feehan is a husband, father, grandfather, and candidate for Wisconsin’s 32nd State Senate district. He and his wife, Sue Kolve-Feehan, own two small businesses in the La Crosse area.
He’s running for Wisconsin State Senate to bring strong leadership and a clear vision for the future, a future that includes growing the economy, creating jobs, and building strong communities.
Bill knows the best days are yet to come for western Wisconsin!
Meet Bill
Bill was born to Bill Sr. and Barbara on July 17, 1960 in East Chicago, Indiana. He is the oldest of six in a working class Irish, Italian, Catholic family.
His parents’ families came from rural Iowa. One grandfather was a union foreman on the Burlington Railroad for 40 years, and the other was a coal miner who later opened a bar and restaurant. After moving with the family several times, Bill graduated from Wayzata Senior High School in 1978.
Bill is a lifelong hunter, fisherman, golf player, and gardener. He enjoys fishing on the Mississippi and Black Rivers mainly for Crappie, Bluegill, and Bass.
Reading is another of his passions. He recently finished Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly, American Lion, a biography of Andrew Jackson, and The Creature from Jekyll Island, about the history of banking and the Federal Reserve.
Bill’s family includes his wife, Sue Kolve-Feehan; his daughter, Cady, 19, and his step children Amy, 26, and Brandon, 21. Amy also has two young children, Rase and Cohen.
A Lifetime In Business
After owning a lawn care business for several years in the late ’80s, Bill graduated in 1992 from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a focus on employee engagement.
After graduating college, Bill became a co-owner of Headliner’s bar and grill in Mound, Minnesota. In 1996 he took a job working for food manufacturer Unilever as an in-house rep at Reinhart Foods in La Crosse. He decided he’d stay here in western Wisconsin because of the friendly people and natural beauty.
Bill climbed the ladder, eventually managing business with regional food service chains like Kwik Trip and various grocery stores. He’s earned several recognitions as an outstanding employee over the years. Bill left Unilever in May to focus on his campaign for state Senate.
There have been two defining moments in Bill’s life. The first was the birth of his daughter Cady in Nov. 1992, and the second was when he married Sue Kolve in June 2004.
Today, their two small businesses employ more than 70 people in the La Crosse area and prepare cosmetology students for a bright future in a stable career.
Community Involvement
Bill got involved in the public arena when he was asked to serve as a community columnist for the La Crosse Tribune in 2005. Bill got actively involved in the 2008 presidential campaign and took a leadership role in the La Crosse GOP in 2009.
Bill decided to run for public office in early 2010 after he and Sue were hit with several double-digit property tax hikes. When he ran for La Crosse County Board, he promised to slow down spending and give taxpayers a break. He won overwhelmingly, and he’s kept his word.
As a county board supervisor he earned spots on various committees and panels:
- La Crosse County Health and Human Services Board
- La Crosse County Criminal Justice Management Council
- City of La Crosse Municipal Parking Utility
As La Crosse GOP chairman, he’s worked to restore honest dialogue in a time when Wisconsin’s politics have been poisoned with recall campaigns and divisive rhetoric. As chairman, Bill publicly opposed the use of recalls as a political tactic by either party.
In March 2012, Bill announced his candidacy for Wisconsin’s 32nd state Senate district.
A message from Bill:
