Ilitch School philanthropy leader Carol Hill chosen to participate in Detroit Regional Chamber Leadership Detroit Class
Carol Hill, the senior director of philanthropy at Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business, has been selected to participate in the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Leadership Detroit program, an eight-month transformational leadership program designed to challenge emerging and existing community leaders from Southeast Michigan to bring about positive change.
“As a fourth-generation Detroiter and great-granddaughter of a former slave, it is an honor to be selected for Leadership Detroit and help the city grow from its recent resurgence to a more vibrant metropolis, providing opportunity for all of its citizens,” Hill said. “As a member of the leadership team at the Mike Ilitch School of Business, I will dedicate my efforts to building stronger partnerships between Detroit’s Business School, The District Detroit, successful expatriates, and our talented Detroit youth who will build a better tomorrow for all of us.”
Hill was previously a senior major gift officer at the Wayne State University Law School. She served in a similar role for the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering and led development offices for elementary schools in Chicago and Philadelphia. Prior to finding what Hill calls her “true calling” in the world of philanthropy, she spent 20 years as a systems analyst and project manager for both corporate and nonprofit entities. Hill has an M.B.A. from the Ilitch School and a B.S. in engineering from Michigan State University.
As part of Leadership Detroit’s 43rd class, Hill will join approximately 70 executives across Southeast Michigan, representing a cross-section of the community, including business, organized labor, government, education, media, civic groups, health services and community organizations.
“I am tremendously honored and excited to take the helm of Leadership Detroit and guide the 43rd class of outstanding individuals through this year’s program. Leadership Detroit offers a unique experience that takes leaders on a journey out of their comfort zones to challenge long-held assumptions and to embrace multiple and diverse perspectives on quality-of-life issues in the Detroit region,” said Devon O’Reilly, senior director of community engagement and leadership development. “Through carefully curated sessions and experiences throughout the year, this class will have an opportunity to better connect with each other, hear directly from key regional leaders across multiple sectors, and enhance the intangible skills that will help them shape this region’s future in their positions of leadership.”
As it has since 1979, Leadership Detroit will continue its role in addressing, discussing and leading conversations important to the Detroit region. The complete Leadership Detroit Class XLIII roster is available at detroitchamber.com/leadership-detroit.
About Leadership Detroit
Leadership Detroit is a community leadership program for executives in Southeast Michigan led by the Detroit Regional Chamber with more than 2,000 alumni. Launched in 1979, the annual eight-month program aims to create awareness of key issues that affect the Detroit region and to challenge emerging and existing community leaders to bring about positive change in the community through informed leadership. To learn more, visit detroitchamber.com/leadership-detroit.
About the Detroit Regional Chamber
Serving the business community for more than 100 years, the Detroit Regional Chamber is one of the oldest, largest and most respected chambers of commerce in the country. As the voice for business in the 11-county Southeast Michigan region, the Chamber’s mission is carried out by creating a business-friendly climate and providing value for members. The Chamber leads the most comprehensive education and talent strategy in the state. The Chamber also executes the statewide automotive and mobility cluster association, MICHauto, and hosts the nationally recognized Mackinac Policy Conference.
About Mike Ilitch School of Business
The Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business prepares students for challenging and rewarding careers, advances the boundaries of scholarly and practitioner knowledge, and enhances the economic vitality of the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and beyond through its programs, research and community engagement. Established in 1946, the business school was renamed in 2015 in recognition of a $40 million gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch. Thanks to this lead investment, the school moved to a new state-of-the-art building in the heart of The District Detroit in 2018, and academic programming and collaboration with city businesses are expanding.