retirement with her husband after 14 years of service to Hillsdale College. | Facebook
Coordinator for Campaign Projects and Communications Denise Willard will retire in December, after 14 “joyous” years at Hillsdale.
“I’ve just consistently been impressed with students here, with the faculty, and with my colleagues,” Willard said. “Hillsdale has afforded me great opportunities.”
Willard and her husband, who hail from Pennsylvania, moved to Michigan 14 years ago to construct a dream lake house. Hillsdale was the perfect spot.
“We really wanted to move to Michigan and live on a lake,” Willard said. “My husband worked from home primarily and we could do that, so I left my job. We moved here, bought a little house on a lake, and tore it apart.”
Willard, a former career development facilitator for public schools, didn’t have much experience with Hillsdale College. But when she started working in Institutional Advancement, the college’s fundraising and outreach department, she knew Hillsdale was something special.
“I love Hillsdale and I was immediately captivated by the mission, which I really take to heart,” Willard said.
It was that mission that kept her at Hillsdale for 14 years. Throughout her career, Willard said, she has been intimately involved, both professionally and personally, in the school.
“I’ve been able to travel to events and hear great speakers,” Willard said. “I was at the Kirby Center dedication in Washington, D.C. and many of the national leadership seminars. I’m able to go to and hear the great speakers that we have, and I’ve spent a bulk of time working on the campaign.”
The Four Pillars capital campaign, which seeks to raise $686.85 million, is slated to end in 2024. Although Willard is retiring before the campaign ends, she said one of her fondest memories at Hillsdale was the campaign’s launch in 2019.
“I was the co-chair of the gala that was held here in 2019,” Willard said. “That was a lot of work, a lot of long days working with special events, but it was amazing fun.”
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Nancy Johnson met Willard in 2007 and the two began working together early 2014. They worked on the gala that launched the Four Pillars campaign together.
“We worked on all aspects of launching the campaign and planning the gala for over a year and it was a tremendous success,” Johnson said. “It was a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun, too.”
Although Willard worked for Johnson remotely, Johnson said that didn’t stop Willard from dedicating her all to the college.
“Denise’s contributions to the work of the college have been her intelligence, her strong work ethic, her ability to work independently and without a lot of direction, and her cheerful and friendly nature,” Johnson said. “She has done everything I ever asked her to do and more. It’s the ‘and more’ that sets someone like Denise apart from the pack.”
Throughout her time at Hillsdale, Willard has worked on three fundraising campaigns.
“They’re five-year campaigns, on average, and each one is a great undertaking of planning. A great part of my job is behind the scenes,” Willard said. “I track the funds that come in, but I’m not part of the financial affairs office or the treasurer’s office. We just track what fundraising we’re bringing in and keep tabs on that.”
Willard has also partnered with Hillsdale’s Dow Journalism Program to bring attention to journalism alumni.
“Some years ago, I started something called Hillsdale Press. I gather articles written by faculty or alumni or current students that are published,” Willard said. “I have a list of about 50 alumni who are working for different publications right now.”
Although she has greatly enjoyed her time at Hillsdale, Willard is excited for what the future has in store.
“I certainly will maintain an interest in Hillsdale, without a doubt. But my husband and I are thinking about buying a travel trailer or a really beautiful little dog and going up the East Coast,” Willard said. “We’re just going to enjoy life.”