A Sister Bay resident who served in Turkey as a member of the Peace Corps is using that experience to attract foreign workers in a tight labor market.
Bill Surbaugh spent two-years as an agriculture specialist in the village of Ashai Chiylanl, Turkey.  His tour from 1966-1968, however, had Surbaugh handling many other duties outside of his specialty.

Since his Peace Corps service concluded, Surbaugh has returned regularly to visit the friends he made, whom he now considers family.  He and his son visit Turkey each January to recruit J-1 students for his son's vacation rental business in Grand Marais, Minnesota.  With some 50 Turkish students working in Northern Door County at one time, Surbaugh found himself befriending more than a few in time of need.

Bill Surbaugh also helped Turkish farmers learn to grow crops with fertilizers, which they previously never used.