Each year, Robbin Hill asks her two adult sons, “Where should we give this year?”

It’s a question she’s spent nearly 24 years asking on behalf of a region. Now the Mid-Shore Community Foundations’ first employee has retired from the organization.

Hill joined MSCF in 2001, at a time when the organization had no permanent staff and operated entirely through volunteer leadership. Her interview for the position took place on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At the time, she said she sensed that something meaningful was underway.

“If this is real, it could be really great,” Hill recalled telling her husband that evening.

Hired alongside MSCF’s first president, Hill was part of the organization’s shift from an all-volunteer board to a staffed philanthropic foundation. Over the course of her tenure, MSCF grew significantly in both scope and scale, increasing its assets by more than $150 million and expanding its services to donors and nonprofits across the Mid-Shore region.

In the early years, MSCF operated without a dedicated office. Hill’s interview was held in the lobby of the Tidewater Inn in Easton. A few years later, the organization received the gift of the Bullitt House, which became its permanent home.

“At the time, we were so poor we weren’t sure whether to sell it or mortgage it,” Hill said. “But it was a game-changer.”

Hill held the title “foundation manager,” a role that encompassed a wide range of responsibilities in the absence of clearly defined job descriptions. Over time, she took on leadership of MSCF’s grants and scholarship programs and helped modernize the organization’s operations.

“We were doing everything manually in the beginning,” she said. “Eventually we moved to an electronic system, and it changed everything.”

Hill led the transition to a fully online scholarship platform, allowing students to apply digitally and match with relevant opportunities based on eligibility, county of residence, academic record, and other criteria.

“We were hesitant to do it, but the kids were so ready,” she said. “They didn’t skip a beat. They applied instantly.”

Hill said she was particularly proud of the growth of the scholarship program during her time at MSCF. Among the major milestones was the expansion of the Roberta Holt Scholarship Fund, which provides more than $1 million annually to students in Caroline County.

“It’s amazing what that does for a rural county,” she said.

Hill was also involved in MSCF’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping design an expedited grant process to distribute emergency relief funds to nonprofits and small businesses. She said that while other organizations were pausing or reorganizing, MSCF focused on moving resources as quickly as possible.

“We were meeting every week, reviewing applications, and getting funds out,” Hill said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

In addition to emergency response, she worked on several long-term community initiatives during her time at the foundation. She helped MSCF incubate new nonprofit organizations, such as Talbot Interfaith Shelter, and supported major regional investments, including a multi-year hospital grant and the expansion of the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center.

“The founders always wanted MSCF to be in a position to make significant lead gifts for projects that benefit the broader community,” Hill said. “I think they would be proud.”

In retirement, Hill said she looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren and supporting local efforts as a volunteer. She currently serves on the board of the Chesapeake Culinary Center in Caroline County.

“I told myself I wouldn’t join anything for a while,” she said. “But some projects are just worth doing.”

Hill also maintains a personal connection to MSCF through a family fund she created during her tenure. Each year, she invites her two adult sons to recommend where the fund’s grants should go. She said the process gives them an opportunity to think about equity and need across the region.

“If you create a charitable fund and leave your kids as advisors, then you’ve given them a gift — a way to be good people,” she said. “Even if they don’t have the money themselves, they can still give.”

MSCF Board Chair Moorhead Vermilye reflected on Hill’s legacy and influence. “She was involved with the organization from the beginning, and I can say without question, the successes of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation are a direct result of her work,” he said.

Hill’s final months at MSCF included the implementation of a new internal software system — a project she said was essential to help the organization manage its growing number of funds and automate routine tasks.

“I knew it was time,” she said. “Part of stepping aside is letting others take it forward.”

Reflecting on her time at the foundation, Hill said she felt fortunate to have been part of its growth and credited the board, staff, and donors for MSCF’s success.

“It was an honor to do this work,” she said. “And a privilege to be associated with the people who made it happen.”

MSCF recently welcomed three new staff members. Upon hearing about their enthusiasm for their work, Hill said she understood that joy: “It’s a great place to be.”

Mary Windsor joined MSCF in March after a long tenure with the Memorial Hospital Foundation. With decades of nonprofit accounting experience, she brings deep financial expertise and a love for strategy. Mary supports both the finance and investment committees and has played a key role in refining internal workflows and strengthening separation of duties. She said this is a dream role.

Lucretia Greene-Adams came on board in April after 18 years in federal government service, including her last role as a finance analyst at the Department of Homeland Security. Now she manages scholarship disbursements, student communications, and aspects of the online application system. Part of her work is ensuring students receive their awards on time, and she said she enjoys sending out their funds.

Liz LaCorte joined in August with 25 years in nonprofit leadership and a background that includes serving as the first executive director of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation. Most recently, she oversaw advancement at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Now at MSCF, she’s focused on donor and nonprofit relationships. She said she is excited to help strengthen community connections on the Mid-Shore.

Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.

This week, From and Fuller discuss the dangerous game of chicken that President Trump and Republicans in Congress are playing during the federal government shutdown as pressure builds on both sides as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or forced to work without pay, impacting food safety and airport security, among other services, and and programs like SNAP (food stamps) face funding interruptions.

This video podcast is approximately 13 minutes in length.

To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:

Background

While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.

The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.

Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”

Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”

For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.

Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last eight years, where he now chairs the board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and is a former board member of the Academy Art Museum and Benedictine.  He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors and writes an e-newsletter available by clicking on DECADE SEVEN.

With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.

Every Wednesday, Maryland political analyst Len Foxwell and politcal advisor to Ed Hale for Governor campaign Clayton Mitchell discuss the politics and personalities of the State and region.

This week, Len and Clayton discuss a recent report by the country’s largest hunger-relief organization that one in every six children in Maryland experiences hunger, including in affluent areas like Talbot County, where nearly 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, as well as a child food-insecurity rate of 29.5 % of children in Dorchester County.

This video is approximately 16 minutes in length.