Judi Hill Recognized as the Recipient of the
2023 Leadership Akron Distinguished Leader Award

Leadership Akron is proud to announce Judi Hill as this year’s Distinguished Leader. Hill is being recognized for both her commitment to Leadership Akron and her leadership on important issues in the Akron community, according to Justin Hilton, President of Leadership Akron.

“Judi has been a transformative leader, a constant presence, and an invaluable contributor to our organization and our community,” Hilton explained. “Her dedication and commitment to community service are exactly the values we want to honor with this award.”

Hill began her career in Akron in 1979 when she took her first teaching position with Akron Public Schools. For 30 years, she taught and worked in curriculum design and education administration.

Hill has served in a multitude of capacities for numerous programs and initiatives, schools, churches, and both for-profit and nonprofit community organizations, including her current tenure as the 28th President of the Akron Chapter of the NAACP.

“Judi has been a stable force for true equity for all individuals in our community,” Hilton said. “Time and again, she has helped galvanize a grieving and fractured community and taken action to bring about lasting change.”

A pivotal figure in the community’s response to the death of Jayland Walker in the summer of 2022, Hill was part of a coalition that helped pass Issue 10 last fall, which established a citizen’s police oversight board.

Hills is a member of Leadership Akron’s Signature Class 22 and NEXT Class 3. She is a three-term Board of Trustee member, serving on the Executive Committee as Secretary, as well as on the Diversity & Inclusion and Strategic Planning Committees, and a key Subject Matter Expert on several planning committees.

“Her influence is felt throughout the totality of Leadership Akron’s programs, and we are forever changed and better for her service,” Hilton said.

Hill’s achievements will be celebrated at the Leadership Akron Holiday Party on the evening of December 14th at The LeBron James Family Foundation’s House Three Thirty. Leadership Akron Alumni and the broader community are invited to join the event. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased by clicking here.