Hon. William S. Hines is a professional engineer with several decades of experience across the mineral sector at national and international levels. He holds a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, and a Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from the University of Liberia.

Before his appointment as Deputy Minister for Operations, he served in several roles at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, including Assistant Minister for Mines, Assistant Director of Mines at the Bureau of Mines, Technical Assistant to the Deputy Minister for Operations, and Chief Mining Engineer of the Republic of Liberia. He has also worked as a Petroleum Engineer at the National Oil Company of Liberia. In the private sector, he took part in extensive exploration across much of Liberia as an exploration geoscientist for AmLib, Inc., Diamond Fields International and others.

He believes that Liberia's mineral resources can serve as a stepping stone to lift the country out of poverty, if they are given the right support and used efficiently.