David Hillman: Visionary and Founder of the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program
David Hillman speaking to the Hillman Entrepreneurs at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve in April 2015.
We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our founder and visionary, David Hillman, on December 27. Mr. Hillman, known as “David” to all who worked with and for him and to his family, lived a full and generous life–sharing his dedication to his community and to the value of mutual respect for the entrepreneurial spirit of those he employed as well as the students he supported through the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program, which he established in 2006 in a partnership between Prince George’s Community College and the University of Maryland College Park. The Program, which since 2013, boasts its additional partnership with Montgomery College, enrolls approximately 60 students per year into its 3-year program of intensive career and academic mentorship, entrepreneurial education, leadership development, and engagement with the local business community.
In particular, the three Program Directors at MC, UMD, and PGCC are in debt to David and his family for the opportunity to shepherd the Hillman students to their bright futures. The 400+ students who have been part of the Hillman Entrepreneurial Program are already repaying their own debt through their own contributions in our community–through their success, our community thrives. Many are working in highly competitive positions; others have started their own businesses; and still others are enrolled in or have completed graduate school. In these ways and more, the light and vision of David Hillman live on.
David Hillman and the 2014 Hillman Entrepreneurs at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve.
Gabrielle Duvall, General Counsel for David’s company, Southern Management Corporation, first shared the sad news of David’s passing with the Program members. In her message, she noted, David “dedicated his life to making his company the best place to work, and his communities the best place to live. He was highly regarded for his visionary leadership and commitment to giving back to the community. As you all know, David was most proud of the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program.” David Hillman meeting with the first cohort of MC-Hillman Entrepreneurs in 2014.
I think I speak for all of us when I say that we as the Hillman Entrepreneurs Program are most proud as well to carry on his legacy through our own development as leaders in the community, with the power and commitment to give back to those who come after us.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, January 4, at 11 a.m. at The Hotel at the University of Maryland, 7777 Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD. Hillman students, past and present, are most welcome to attend.
Learn more about David Hillman’s life here on our website and also in the memorial notice published in the Baltimore Sun.
David Hillman was a selfless entrepreneur who took great pride in his work. I have tons of admiration for David Hillman and I am so thankful for the opportunity the Hillman Entrepreneurship program has provided. His legacy will live in through his family, friends and the Hillman Entrepreneurs.
I want to give my condolences to the Hillman Family. Even though I never met him, Mr. David Hillman has contributed something invaluable into my life. His vision and impact will ever be cherished. Thank you for everything Mr. Hillman.
Despite not personally knowing David Hillman, it is thanks to him and his entrepreneurial vision that I have come to meet some of the finest and most hard working students, entrepreneurs, and professionals I know. Moreover, we, the Hillman Entrepreneurs, owe it to David Hillman that a future full of success and opportunity has presented itself ahead of us. I impatiently wait to further explore what my future holds for me as I, and my Hillman peers, carry on David Hillman’s legacy. David Hillman will not be forgotten.
Words cannot express the depth of my sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the Hillman family. David Hillman was such a generous person. We’ll all miss him, but his legacy will live on through all the great work he did.
My deepest condolences go out to the Hillman family. David has touched so many lives, and as a student in the Hillman Program I have seen first-hand the positive impact he has had on the community. I am proud to call myself a Hillman Entrepreneur and hope to continue his legacy through my entrepreneurial actions.
I send you my sincere condolences. I pray that God comforts your heart and soul in this moment of grief. David Hillman was a great-hearted man; his legacy leaves a mark like none other on the Hillman Students.I am very grateful for the opportunity he gave me and the changes the Program brought to my life. I regret to hear he is on the other side. I hope to continue to grow as an entrepreneur and I am honored to be part of his entrepreneurial legacy.
David Hillman was a selfless entrepreneur who took great pride in his work. I have tons of admiration for David Hillman and I am so thankful for the opportunity the Hillman Entrepreneurship program has provided. His legacy will live in through his family, friends and the Hillman Entrepreneurs.
I want to give my condolences to the Hillman Family. Even though I never met him, Mr. David Hillman has contributed something invaluable into my life. His vision and impact will ever be cherished. Thank you for everything Mr. Hillman.
Despite not personally knowing David Hillman, it is thanks to him and his entrepreneurial vision that I have come to meet some of the finest and most hard working students, entrepreneurs, and professionals I know. Moreover, we, the Hillman Entrepreneurs, owe it to David Hillman that a future full of success and opportunity has presented itself ahead of us. I impatiently wait to further explore what my future holds for me as I, and my Hillman peers, carry on David Hillman’s legacy. David Hillman will not be forgotten.
Words cannot express the depth of my sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the Hillman family. David Hillman was such a generous person. We’ll all miss him, but his legacy will live on through all the great work he did.
My deepest condolences go out to the Hillman family. David has touched so many lives, and as a student in the Hillman Program I have seen first-hand the positive impact he has had on the community. I am proud to call myself a Hillman Entrepreneur and hope to continue his legacy through my entrepreneurial actions.
I send you my sincere condolences. I pray that God comforts your heart and soul in this moment of grief. David Hillman was a great-hearted man; his legacy leaves a mark like none other on the Hillman Students.I am very grateful for the opportunity he gave me and the changes the Program brought to my life. I regret to hear he is on the other side. I hope to continue to grow as an entrepreneur and I am honored to be part of his entrepreneurial legacy.