Jacqueline Hill Retires from HSFF
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Pete Warzel, Jacqueline Hill, Mara Saxer, and Melanie McWhorter - staff of HSFF
Jacqueline Hill Retires from HSFF
On March 17, 2014, I entered the office of the Historic Santa Fe Foundation for the first time as an employee. Three people greeted me. Graciela Tomé, then Chair of the Board, Mac Watson, head of the search committee for the new Executive Director, and Jacqueline Hill.
Jacqueline had been hired several months before to try and organize administration, left to its own devices for some time. Board Directors were hands on, running the place. Jacqueline and the Board created order.
She has been here ever since, and now suddenly, she will not be. September 30, 2021 was her retirement day, and one she was very much looking forward to. Most people I know are ambivalent about retirement, and hem and haw as they near the time. Not so with Jacqueline. She relished the day and the time to explore new things. She laughs out loud. She is most genuinely happy to greet that day.
A small non-profit staff has to have each other’s backs, and cover duties not necessarily in a job description. We are blessed with people who jump in without complaint, and handle issues a staff twice as large could not. Jacqueline’s title is Office Manager, but so much more. She designed the award certificates and frames for the annual Heritage Preservation Awards, our Architectural Stewardship Award. She vetted and gave counsel on potential new tenants, and mostly was right in her assessments. She handled the flow of invoices and payments and when accounts went out whack or a bill missed it was invariably my fault. She has been a strong supporter of new programs and a cheerleader for the El Zaguán Master Plan, often giving ideas on how to make the plan more efficient. She is a very wise person.
In eight years, El Zaguán has in many ways become her place. She is the only one who can unlock and open the door to Apartment #1 without a problem. She is a master at engaging visitors to the Foundation, and finds out more about their lives than they likely seem to offer. She has lived many adventures in her life and talking to her, listening to her stories, is a joy. Now just to wait for the next endeavor and the next story…she will not disappoint.
Sincere thanks Jacqueline, for all you have done for me and for the Foundation. Have a blast. But also come visit. You have been a very good friend and partner in getting all this done and should be proud of how much has been accomplished since you came here to work.
Email melanie@historicsantafe.org to send your well wishes to Jacqueline and we will pass along all messages.
Help us welcome aboard Linda Williams as our new Office Manager, linda@historicsantafe.org.
Images: Jacqueline Hill's retirement party with artist-in-residence Paul Baxendale (above) and with Ken Stilwell (below).
