Joined Wild Ones: August 9th, 2024
Board Term: 2025-2027
Serves on: Finance, Nominations and Mission Committees
Contact Wild Ones: [email protected]
Chapter: Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region
Favorite Native Plant: False blue indigo (Baptisia australis)
About:
Hilary is based in Washington, DC where she works for the Institute of International Education leading programs that provide scholarships for students to study language and culture immersively in areas underrepresented in study abroad programs. She majored in international relations as an undergrad at Mount Holyoke College and earned her Masters Degree in Public Management at the University of Maryland. Hilary has extensive experience in nonprofits, federal grants, national outreach, planning educational events, public administration, international relations, public speaking, mentoring, and cultivating diversity, participation, and innovation. She welcomes the opportunity to draw on her experience to advance Wild Ones' mission by creating pathways for participation from a more diverse group of individuals across the country. She is particularly interested in identifying strategies to engage youth and promote emerging leaders within the Wild Ones network. She believes in fostering a strong sense of community, ensuring every member feels that their actions contribute to the broader mission.
What inspired you to become involved with Wild Ones:
Wild Ones is an organization with a critical mission, and serving on the Board offers a unique opportunity to combine my passion for gardening and native plants with my expertise in strategic planning, community and partnership building, and resource development. Although my academic and professional background isn’t rooted in horticulture, I see many parallels between the transformative power of international education and the mission of Wild Ones. When individuals gain access to new experiences, resources, and learning opportunities, they are empowered to become changemakers. This begins at a local level, but as more individuals have these transformative experiences, communities are built, and these communities can drive impactful change on a broader scale. By cultivating the next generation of leaders—equipped with technical knowledge and practical skills in ecological stewardship and the importance of native plants—Wild Ones is not only positioned to continue its leadership in this field but also to build powerful partnerships that will further its mission.