Hilla F. Ferguson

Hilla Ferguson

Recognizing what matters

After working for 20 years in the private sector, Hilla Ferguson began asking herself some important questions. "Maybe it was something about becoming middle-aged that caused me to question how my life was making this world a better place," says Ferguson.

She decided to take her business acumen to the nonprofit sector. Working as the director of a community nonprofit in Rochester, Minn., she learned firsthand about the values, principles and philosophies of Mayo Clinic. "I saw how the Mayo Clinic Model of Care influences every aspect of this institution," she says.

In 2002, Hilla joined Mayo Clinic Rochester as a development officer. Although she was new to the Mayo Clinic Department of Development, charitable giving has always been a part of Hilla's life. "This is who I am and who I've always been. There is no other place for me but in philanthropy," she says.

Ferguson describes the significance of philanthropy in her early years as a child. "My mother was a single parent with extremely limited resources. Our home community provided support that allowed my brother and me to grow up with opportunities," she says. "I received a scholarship to the University of Chicago and, as a result, benefited from a great education." Ferguson has never lost sight of the impact of a caring community.

"I have a strong desire to help accelerate the pace of scientific discovery on diseases that affect individuals and families," she says. "I walk through Mayo Clinic every day, and I think, 'This is what matters — this is why I do what I do.'"