Senator McKenna serves on a number of senate committees that are responsible for a wide range of legislation and programs affecting the people of Missouri; including safe roads, job growth, education, a healthy state economy, and other measures to protect citizens' health and welfare. McKenna is Chairman of the Conservation, Parks and Tourism Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Committee and a member of the following committees: Commerce and Environment; Elections, Pensions and Veterans' Affairs; Insurance and Housing; Labor and Industrial Relations; and Ways and Means. He is also a member of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. McKenna serves as the Chairman of the Board and President of the Missouri 1st Vote Foundation--a volunteer organization to raise money to encourage high school students to register to vote and become more involved in the election process. Bill is a member of the Missouri Tourism Commission and is on the Board of Directors of the Jefferson College Foundation, Inc. He is also a member of the Missouri License Plate Redesign Committee.

Senator McKenna is a member of the Arts Council Trust Fund Board of Trustees and the Missouri State Employees Voluntary Life Insurance Commission. He is the past president of the Jefferson County Growth and Development Association, a not-for-profit group which strives to improve the image of and the quality of life in Jefferson County. McKenna was a charter member of Action Jefferson County and Jefferson County Progress--two groups that fought hard to adopt Planning and Zoning to improve the appearance, perception and job growth in Jefferson County.

Senator McKenna took the legislative lead in the forming of another citizen action group, the Coalition for Highway Safety, established to improve the safety of Jefferson County roads. One of the accomplishments of the all-volunteer Coalition was the construction of a new four lane divided road to replace the deadly and dangerous stretch of Highway 21, known as "Blood Alley." Many other projects have received a higher priority due to the relentless work of the group.

Born in St. Louis, Bill attended St. Louis University High School, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeast Missouri State University. He is currently working on his Masters of Science in Public Administration at Southeast Missouri State University. Bill has two children, Lisa and Ryan.