As Dorchester Bay EDC celebrates our 45th anniversary this year, we will take this opportunity to spotlight and honor the leaders who have played pivotal roles in shaping our organization, and those who are helping to write our future. First up is Dorchester Bay EDC Board Member Philip L. Hillman!
Philip L. Hillman is currently the owner/operator of PLH Enterprise which does Corporate Coaching. Prior to that he worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the Chief Administrative Officer of MassHousing, the state’s affordable housing bank, and he also held the role of Director of the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents. Phil had a long and varied career at the Polaroid Corporation where he served as Divisional Vice-President of Health, Safety and Environmental Affairs. His board affiliations include Dorchester Bay, where he joined in the mid-1990s, Children Services of Roxbury, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and BMA/TenPoint.
1. When did you first get involved with Dorchester Bay, and why?
I got involved with Dorchester Bay back in the late 90s. They made a grant proposal to the Polaroid Foundation. I conducted a site visit on behalf of the foundation and was extremely impressed with the organization. When the ED found that I lived in Dorchester he reached out to me and asked me to join the board.
2. What roles have you served with Dorchester Bay?
I have served as board chair twice and 2007 served in the organization as COO.
3. Why is Dorchester Bay’s work important?
We’re addressing an issue (housing affordability) that has significant impact for the residents of Dorchester. But it’s not about building brick and mortar, we have an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the residents of our property. We provide training for personal growth (e.g. computer training) and we provide training to teach our residents how to advocate for their own issues.
4. How have you seen Dorchester Bay grow and change throughout the years?
The activity and focus has been on building affordable housing. However, the effects of the pandemic have identified a need to support small business. So, going forward our focus and activity has significantly increased in providing loans and technical support to small businesses that qualify.
5. What are you excited about for Dorchester Bay’s future?
I believe that our next great challenge for Dorchester Bay is to figure out how we can support greater wealth creation for the Dorchester residents.
Thank you to Philip, thank you to you for reading, and stay tuned for more profiles coming this month!
