Hilary Ferencak

Born and raised in Toledo, OH, Hilary is excited and honored to call Detroit home.

Having spent the last seven years in Pittsburgh, PA working with Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE), she focused on the effectiveness of community-based nonprofit organizations and the health of communities they serve. She saw first-hand how consistent, targeted, and funded capacity-building projects for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits can do wonders for each nonprofit and the communities they serve.

As a graduate student, she completed a fellowship in Beirut, Lebanon, where she developed programming and engaged youth in the Middle East and North Africa region. Hilary earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and Master of International Development from The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). #TRUEMU #H2P

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, running, catching an occasional sports game or opera, learning new languages on Duolingo, and enjoying a nice cup of coffee from various local coffee shops around town.

Her love of human-centered design and strategy and her willingness to “meet people and organizations where they are” has shaped how she approaches her work. Hilary is excited to bring that approach to VFA, particularly her work with the Detroit Fellows and Alumni, companies, and community members. She’s also happy to be closer to her family and friends throughout Southeast Michigan and Northwest Ohio.