Advancing the vision
Martin “Marty†K. P. Hill is no stranger to accolades and awards, especially here in Carroll County, where he and his family have made a remarkable difference in the community for nearly five decades. From building homes to serving on boards and maintaining a steadfast commitment to philanthropy, the Hill family is just about everywhere in Westminster and Carroll County.
That’s partly why his daughter, Jennifer Hill Bubczyk ’93, didn’t initially enroll at McDaniel College: “It felt too close to home for me at the time,†she says.
Ultimately, her first choice of college wasn’t the right fit, and Bubczyk transferred to the Hill for her sophomore year. Her dad had already been engaged with the college and then-President Bob Chambers for a couple years at the time — in fact, he says he had to dodge Chambers for a bit when Bubczyk didn’t choose McDaniel as a first-year student.
As Bubczyk began her journey at McDaniel, Hill’s involvement increased. From starting out on the Parents Board, fueling fundraising challenges for senior class giving, being consulted on campaign feasibility studies, and volunteering with Admissions, Hill jumped in with his signature quiet enthusiasm.
He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1993 — receiving special permission to present Bubczyk’s degree to her at that spring’s Commencement, despite his term not having begun yet — and has served for the past 30 years. In 1994, Hill served as the chair of the college’s first comprehensive campaign, The Defining Moment, which raised more than $40 million. In 1995, with a leadership gift to the college, Memorial Hall was rededicated as Hill Hall, ensuring Hill’s impact on the college would be remembered for decades to come.
But it wasn’t until after Bubczyk graduated that she really understood the scope of how much good her father had done for the college. And unlike many parents who might wash their hands of a college after their child’s last tuition payment clears and that diploma is in their hands, Marty Hill has been a constant presence on the Hill.
In 2007, he was elected chair of the Board of Trustees, a position he held until stepping down in 2019. During that time, he was involved in the hiring of the college’s ninth president, Roger N. Casey, but one major accomplishment stands out in his mind.
“I am particularly proud of leading the board through the significant updating and modernization of the college’s curriculum,†Hill says. “President Casey led the charge, and then-Provost Julia Jasken did the heavy lifting to bring the full college community to the table in support of the changes.
“What we advertise is that McDaniel changes lives, and we’ve really leaned into that with the curricular changes and providing educational opportunities for students that wouldn’t have had them before,†he says. “It was easy to support President Joan Develin Coley and President Casey during my term as chair; it was a real partnership because their focus was all about advancing the students and the college.â€
As owner of Masonry Contractors Inc. from 1971 until 2002, president of Woodhaven Building & Development Inc. since 1976, and owner of Hill Development Group LLC, Hill’s decades of experience in developing and building commercial and residential properties have been an asset to the college.
But much like his daughter, an English major who gave journalism a shot but is now president at Hill Development Group, he didn’t foresee this career path for himself either.
“I never had any idea that I was going to be in construction,†Hill says. “A lot of people say, ‘If I only had the opportunity,’ but they don’t recognize an opportunity when it’s right in front of them. If I’ve been blessed with one thing, it’s the ability to see beyond, and that’s been so helpful in my life.â€
Hill credits his business success and his ability to help the college grow to one thing: “My philosophy of developing relationships,†whether it’s building a solid relationship with architecture firms and construction companies for new community development or to find the best long-term partners for the good of the college’s growth.
Those relationships have led to every academic building on campus being renovated since Hill joined the board, in addition to the construction of Kenneth R. Gill Stadium, Merritt Hall, Eaton Hall, North Village residential apartments, and Merritt Fitness Center.
In short, Marty Hill has helped change the landscape of McDaniel College for the better over the past three decades, and it’s largely due to the relationships he developed with the four most recent presidents of the college. Those relationships have been built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect — including, Hill says, trust in how the college manages his philanthropic gifts.
“Interestingly, I’ve never given anything to scholarship at the college. It’s the most funded part of every campaign, and I don’t like to give with strings attached,†he says. “If I believe in the organization enough to give you my money, then I trust you to do what you see as the best use of it.â€
But Hill remains humble, insisting that he doesn’t need recognition for his service and that he’s just doing what he knows is right. Regardless, in acknowledgment of his more than 30 years of service to the college — including 30 as a member of the Board of Trustees and 12 as the chair of the board — Hill is the 2023 recipient of the Founders Award.
“It’s important to pay it forward, to be able to give other people opportunities that you may not have had without someone’s help,†he says. “My daughter is a good example of somebody who came to the college not 100% clear on where she was heading. But it has laid a foundation for her that is constantly reinforcing that the Hill was the right place for her.â€
Bubczyk is thankful for the role her father has played in her alma mater, and that he’s instilled the same values in her and her brother.
“It’s just who he is. He’s just someone who gives so much and doesn’t ask for a lot in return; he’s not asking for accolades,†Bubczyk says. “I told him, ‘Thirty years is a long time, Dad. It deserves recognition.’ We joke sometimes about his various commitments. When he was board chair at the college, we’d ask him, ‘Is your full-time job here at Woodhaven or at McDaniel?’ But we wouldn’t have it any other way. And it’s encouraged me to stay involved, too.â€
It’s been said plenty of times here on the Hill and in other organizations around the county: If we had multiple Marty Hills, we’d be unstoppable.
“I’m very proud of him in all that he’s accomplished,†Bubczyk says. “He’s just a man who quietly goes about helping and doing what needs to be done. He’s not the type to be out there singing his own praises, so I’m glad you gave me the opportunity to do so, and that the college is celebrating him.â€
