Pitt’s Institute of Politics to Release Case Study on Pittsburgh Philanthropist Elsie Hillman May 17 During Program Featuring Distinguished Panelists Who Will Discuss Hillman’s Leadership, Contributions

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics (IOP) will release a case study on Elsie Hillman titled “Never a Spectator: The Political Life of Elsie Hillman” and feature a panel presentation at a by-invitation-only program to be held from 4 to 8 p.m. May 17 in the Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

A highlight of the event will be the announcement and inaugural presentation of the Elsie Hillman Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Public Service. The program will be followed by a reception.

Two years in the making, the IOP case study documents Hillman’s rise to leadership in the Republican Party, her many contributions to the success of Republican candidates, and her unparalleled commitment to increasing the diversity of the party in Allegheny County and beyond.

The Hillman case study has been described as capturing Hillman from the perspective of a “skilled social actor,” highlighting the qualities of character and leadership that have enabled her to accomplish so much for so many.

Following is a list of the panelists, including those who also are featured in the case study:

• Barbara Hafer, president of the national consulting firm Hafer & Associates and former treasurer and auditor general of Pennsylvania;
• Ron Kaufman, senior advisor to the global communications group Dutko Grayling and former senior advisor to President George H.W. Bush;
• Maxwell King (moderator), former editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, former president of the Heinz Endowments, and member of the IOP Board of Fellows;
• Tom Ridge, president and CEO of Ridge Global and former governor of Pennsylvania who served as the inaugural secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
• Dick Thornburgh, (LAW ’57), Pitt emeritus trustee, former governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, former attorney general of the United States, former U.N. undersecretary general, and now counsel to the international law firm K&L Gates in its Washington, D.C., office; and
• Doris Carson Williams, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania.

The case study and program are privately funded.

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5/14/12/mab/jdh/lks