Longtime community volunteer leaders Jim and Elaine Hill are the winners of the 2018 Distinguished Service Award from the Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga for outstanding community leadership, a news release states. In the award's 96th year, this is the 10th time it has been presented jointly.
The Hills will be recognized at an April 16 ceremony from noon-1 p.m. at the Read House's Silver Ballroom.
Jim Hill is an Army veteran and retired business executive, and Elaine Hill is the founder of Breast Cancer Support Services. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hill are dynamic community volunteers who have given decades of service to organizations in education, health care, the arts and other causes.
Jim HillMrs. Hill, diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 1989, became an advocate for women diagnosed with the disease. In 1992 she co-founded Y-ME of Chattanooga (now Breast Cancer Support Services), a nonprofit organization to assist women with breast cancer. She was president of the organization's board for 12 years and remains an active board member.
Elaine HillShe has been recognized by the National Breast Cancer Coalition for her work to reach minority women and by the National Cancer Institute for outstanding efforts in cancer education among minority communities in partnership with the Cancer Information Service. Coping Magazine presented her with a Hero Award for Cancer Survivor of the Year in 1998, and she was a Lifetime TV Breast Cancer Hero in 2007. She also received a Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization leadership award.
Mrs. Hill also has been an active community volunteer, serving on nonprofit organization boards including the Association for Visual Arts, Hunter Museum of American Art, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Arts and Education Council, Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, Memorial Health Care Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga History Center and UTC Chancellor's Round Table. She is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga and has served as president of its board of trustees.
Jim Hill, who retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel, had a 20-year military career that included two tours of duty on the faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point as assistant professor of chemistry and as assistant dean of academics.
Later he was employed in manufacturing management for DuPont Industries, served as president of the Tennessee Aquarium from 1992 to 1994 and ultimately retired as CEO of the Lupton Company, LLC, of Chattanooga.
Mr. Hill is an active volunteer. His board memberships in Chattanooga include the Chattanooga Area Urban League, SunTrust Bank, Memorial Hospital, the River City Corp., the Public Education Foundation, the UC Foundation, Allied Arts, the United Way and the Chamber of Commerce. At the state level, he served for two terms on the Tennessee Arts Commission and two terms as chairman of the inaugural board of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. He also served on the board of the Southern Arts Federation in Atlanta. At the national level, Mr. Hill served eight years on the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' board and was a panelist for 10 years for the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga has presented the Distinguished Service Award annually since 1922 in recognition of outstanding leadership and service to the local community.
For tickets to the April 16 lunch and award presentation, call 423-267-6568 or email kiwanischatt@comcast.net.