“For the people” are the three words that shaped the life of a young William Purnell. From his early years of childhood, he has looked for ways to serve and improve his community. “Having the opportunity to travel the world, I began paying attention to the changing efforts of energy efficiency and its benefits. As I watched the distribution of renewable energy resources and small-scale solar energy projects emerge, my interest was piqued. The consumption, costs, and home energy efficiencies became more intriguing to me once I became a homeowner and comprehended identifying factors on a more familiar platform.” Most recently, Purnell has taken an interest in the economics of energy and electric reliability.
As an active member of the Charles County community, Purnell has served on the Charles County Ethics Commission and is an active Realtor; he belongs to the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors, as well as the National Association of Realtors.
Purnell holds a Master of Business Administration in energy from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Science in human resource management from the University of Maryland University College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from American Military University.
Upon his departure from the Presidential Air Group of the U.S. Air Force, he continued to serve his country as an officer at the National Security Agency, and currently works for the U.S. Department of Defense.
Purnell represents Charles County on the SMECO Board of Directors. Elected to the Board in 2017, Purnell previously served on the Policy, Audit and Budget Committee and currently serves on the Personnel and Benefits Committee in addition to the Board Risk and Oversight Committee.