Hill, Charlotte, 1925-2018

Charlotte Hill came to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1952 with her husband James J. Hill who worked as a casino executive. The Hills had two daughters. In 1954 Charlotte Hill began volunteering with the Frontier Girl Scouts and went on to serve as president and acting executive director of the organization. She also helped found the Voluntary Action Center, now HELP of Southern Nevada. She held leadership roles in a number of local organizations including the United Way, the Economic Opportunity Board, and the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada. Due to her strong belief in the benefits of summer camp, Hill has long been an active member of the American Camping Association. She created the Las Vegas Sun Summer Camp Fund with Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun in 1970 to send disadvantaged Southern Nevada youth to summer camp. The Las Vegas Sun Summer Camp Fund raised funds to pay for transportation and camp dues. In 2015, it merged with the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada. In 1971 Charlotte Hill helped found the Friends of Channel 10. The group works to provide financial and volunteer support for the Las Vegas PBS affiliate, KLVX Channel 10. She served as director of the Friends of Channel 10 until 1998. Hill also worked as volunteer coordinator for KLVX Channel 10. The Friends of Channel 10 was later renamed Southern Nevada Public Television and as of 2016, Hill serves on the board of directors of the organization. She also served on national boards and committees related to public broadcasting, including the PBS Voluntary Advisory Committee and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Public Participation Task Force. As a volunteer, Hill has also demonstrated a commitment to public education. She served on Nevada Board of Education, as president of Community College of Southern Nevada Foundation, and on the University of Nevada Las Vegas Foundation. In 1991, the Clark County School District named an elementary school in her honor. Due to her commitment to Las Vegas and the community, Charlotte Hill has been the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Distinguished Nevadan award from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way.