IMMOKALEE — Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance has welcomed retired commercial banker Hal Hills to the nonprofit’s board of directors, which sets policy, offers direction and oversees finances. Hills joins the board after having served on the organization’s communications committee since the summer of 2020.

A registered 501(c)(3), Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance was created in 2018 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the damage done by Hurricane Irma to already substandard trailers and shacks rented by farmworkers, essential workers and other low-income families in Immokalee. The organization is currently constructing the first of eight new affordable housing apartment buildings for qualifying families.

“On the bus ride home following a visit to Immokalee with Greater Naples Leadership, I said to my classmates, ‘why doesn’t somebody do something about this?’ so I quickly jumped on board after meeting with some of the founding board members, meeting chairman, Dr. Arol Buntzman, and learning more about their plans to build an affordable housing community in Immokalee,” said Hills. “It was clear to me from the start that Arol was the right guy, in the right place, at the right time, and that holds true today as he has led us from a vision to reality.”

Hills graduated from Lehigh University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for two years, Hills spent his entire professional career in commercial banking, initially in data processing but primarily as an internal auditor. From 1995 until his retirement in 2009, Hills was a senior vice president and general auditor of Commerce Bancorp, a $40 billion bank holding company based in New Jersey. During his time in banking, Hills served as president of Bank Administration Institute’s (BAI) Philadelphia chapter for one term, chair of BAI’s Chartered Bank Auditor Examination Construction Committee for five years, and board member of the National Association of Financial Services Auditors and chair of the Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) Examination Committee for seven years.

Hills previously worked with several nonprofits in various capacities. He founded Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Mercer County in New Jersey and served as its president for several terms. Hills also was a regional president and board member of the national Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, serving a term as its treasurer, and was a 15-year member of the Camden Rotary, where he served a term as president.

Since retiring full time to Florida, Hills has served on various committees in the community, including strategic planning, communications and technology, and architectural review, and co-chaired an emergency response committee. In addition, he volunteered for three years as a mentor for students in an entrepreneurial program at Immokalee High School. Hills is a member of Class XXII of Greater Naples Leadership and currently serves as editor of the group’s newsletter, The Connection.

To learn more about the organization or to donate, please visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org.