CLEVELAND — Constance Hill-Johnson says she’s always been driven to make a difference.
“I'm so selective about what I choose to engage in that if it brings me a level of excitement and joy, it's not hard,” she told 3News Anchor Russ Mitchell in a recent interview. “That's not to say that I'm not physically exhausted at the end of the day, but it's good work. It's good work.”
An entrepreneur, mentor, and dedicated philanthropist, she has delivered results to Northeast Ohio. Connie says, giving back to the community that built her is what keeps her motivated.
“I've lived other places... but I'm a Cleveland girl. I grew up on the east side, grew up in Glenville. I'm a homegrown girl who's seen a whole lot,” she said. “So there's something about home that sits well with me.”
Among her many hats, Connie has been the Owner and Managing Director of Visiting Angels Senior Home Care for more than 20 years. She recalls that moving into entrepreneurship after an early career in finance was an unexpected one, the idea to start her own business sparked from a magazine article.
“I saw an article in Black Enterprise about the number of minorities buying franchises, and I thought, ‘Heck I should buy a franchise’. At that time, I thought I was going to stay in St. Louis, but I came back to Cleveland and literally set up my office in the basement of my mother's home....so the trajectory of my life as an adult has not gone the way I thought it would, but it's been probably far better than it ever could have been.”
Hill-Johnson is also known in Northeast Ohio for dedicating her time to causes she cares about. Among the many causes to which she’s lent her time and talents, Connie was instrumental in establishing the “Celebrate Those Who Give Black” exhibit.
“When I think of probably one of the proudest moments of my life, it has been my involvement with a group of folk here in Cleveland who wanted to change the narrative around what philanthropy really looks like,” she said. “That we as African-Americans are not always the recipients of the funds, but we give of our time, our talent, our treasure.”
The exhibit seeks to tell the story of black philanthropic efforts across Northeast Ohio. It was installed in 2019 in The Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library, and will soon have a new permanent home at the new Martin Luther King branch when it opens in University Circle next year.
Since 2022, Hill-Johnson has also served as the Chair of the Board of The Cleveland Foundation, the first black woman elected to the position in the nearly 110-year-old organization’s history.
“I remember when a couple of people said you should consider throwing your name into the governance committee. And again, I thought, no, I've been serving on the committee on the board for a few years. I'm cool, chaired some committees, and I thought about it and I went home and I tossed and turned and I thought, again, why shouldn't it be me? And so voted in and it has been a ride, but it's been good work.”
Named the “2024 Drum Major for Change” as presented by Cleveland Public Library because of her public service, Hill-Johnson says, she doesn’t take her accomplishments for granted, and has been particularly touched by members of the Hough Community who have expressed pride and admiration of her role with The Cleveland Foundation, which is now headquartered in Hough’s MidTown Collaboration Center.
“I don't have my parents anymore. They're both gone on to heaven and I sometimes can't believe where I sit right now,” she reflected. “My mom used to always say, you never know who's watching you. You never know who's watching. You just continue to do the work....When others applaud you and affirm what you're doing in the city that you love, it's special and it feels real good.”
Hill-Johnson also credits her mother for her ongoing commitment to literacy – she just finished serving as co-chair of the successful city-wide Cleveland Reads campaign with the Cleveland Public Library. And as we honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she also reflects on the inspiration she draws from the leader’s legacy.
“I continue to think of what he stood for. And I wonder now, with all that we see going on in our country and in the world, I believe his message would still be just as powerful today as it was then. That if we don't care for the least of these and that the appalling silence of the good folks who say nothing is just as bad as the ranker and the hollering and screaming of the other folks...and I think very little of his message would be different today.”
Hill-Johsnon’s own message to the next generation of those making a difference?
“Lead with your heart. Lead with your heart. Now you have to know something, have to have a little bit of smarts, but lead with your heart,” she said. “Be authentic. Let people know who you really are and don't try to, as the kids would say, don't try to perpetrate. Just be you.”
