Hilliard Receives Alumni Service Award
By Stacy Kish
David Hilliard, a graduate of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will be honored with Carnegie Mellon University’s Alumni Service Award at a ceremony during Homecoming Weekend. The award honors alumni for their volunteer service to the university and/or alumni organizations.
“Receiving the alumni service award is an unforgettable honor that will always make me thankful to the Alumni Association Board and Carnegie Mellon,” said Hilliard. “My involvement has simply been a way of giving back and, hopefully, making a positive impact on the university.”
Hilliard received a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1973. Beginning as a student and later as an alumnus, Hilliard has dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to promote student and alumni success and positivity that contributes to the university’s culture.
He currently serves on the Andrew Carnegie Society Board and the Dietrich College Dean’s Board of Advisors. In these roles, he shares his invaluable leadership experience that helps to guide programs and initiatives for both students and alumni. Previously, he acted as a CMU Alumni Association Board member, where he applied his professional leadership expertise to build and strengthen connections between alumni and the university.
Since 1991, Hilliard has served as president and co-founder of Symphony Development, a California firm that develops and manages premium off-campus student housing as well as multi-family, mixed-use and retail properties with an eye toward sustainability.
Prior to co-founding Symphony Development, Hilliard founded and led his own international institutional real estate and bank advisory firm, Hilliard Properties. He also held the role of first vice president and Los Angeles regional manager with the real estate industries group of Security Pacific Bank.
Hilliard is the proud parent of fellow Dietrich College alumnus Justin Hilliard, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information systems in 2016.