Staff Spotlight: Five Questions with Darryl Hill, Ed.D. Get to know our Partner
Today, get to know Darryl Hill, Ed.D.: A Partner with HCM Strategists.
Darryl Hill, Ed.D., is a partner at HCM Strategists, dedicated to enhancing outcomes for underserved students and broadening access to postsecondary opportunities. With extensive experience, including roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and as Assistant Superintendent for School Accountability and Governance in Fulton County Schools, Darryl has a proven track record in data utilization, performance analysis, and strategic planning. He holds multiple degrees, including a Doctor of Education from Harvard University, and actively contributes to the education and mathematics communities through various board memberships. Darryl resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where he enjoys spending time with family and supporting his favorite sports teams.
To learn more about Darryl, please visit his LinkedIn.
We’re lucky to have a team with diverse lived experiences. Tell us about your background and how you found your way to this work
→ I began my education career working at the high school I attended as an academic coach. Since then, I’ve earned a research doctoral degree, worked in K-12 administration in two urban districts, and played a measurement and evaluation role in private philanthropy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As my time at Gates ended, I learned about HCM and the work being done to bring attention to the loss of Black learners in higher education. It is an excellent fit for my passion–bringing access and opportunity to marginalized populations.
HCM is dedicated to making educational systems more accessible, affordable, accountable, and equitable. What drives you to do this work?
→ My personal experiences drive me to do this work. I was raised by a single mother with significant support from my grandparents and extended family. I was fortunate to have a grandfather who had worked in higher education as a military officer, even though he had no college education. This, along with an outstanding K-12 education, allowed me to understand the steps necessary to pursue higher education, and I received three full scholarships when I graduated from high school. Not everyone is so fortunate; however, I know many people who didn’t know the steps necessary to pursue higher education or apprenticeship opportunities that would lead to well-paying careers. I aim to improve awareness to help them.
Is there a particular data point that animates your work right now and what is it? Why?
→ The lack of representation of Black students in STEM fields ack of representation of Black students in STEM fields is particularly noteworthy. It reflects the importance of two efforts that are currently underway for HCM: LEVEL UP, which brings attention to the loss of Black learners in higher education, and the National Science Foundation's Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES National Network project, which aims to create broader diversity in STEM.
What type of client work and impact do you want to see HCM make over the next five years/in the future?
→We have strong relationships with many entities, but I’d like to see us further develop our work with states and foundations explicitly focused on underrepresented and underserved students. While we have certainly done this work in the past and are currently doing it, it is a passion of mine, as noted before.
When not working, what can people find you doing?
→ I am an avid sports fan, so you’ll definitely find me watching football and basketball depending on the season. I also try to maintain a focus on my health and I try to work out at least three times per week.
