H​ilda is a senior Fortune 500 business executive acknowledged for building best-in-class organizations that consistently achieve aggressive revenue and profit objectives. She is also a dedicated board member/advisor to numerous industry, educational, and community organizations, bringing new strategy and processes to enhance effectiveness.

Hilda brings a broad background in P&L management, strategic planning, economic development, communications, treasury & auditing, M&A integration, customer service, and operations. During her career, she has combined operating success – including leading a 600,000-customer energy delivery operation, achieving top financial, safety, customer service, and employee satisfaction results – with the ability to collaborate and build alignment with government, regulatory, and other stakeholders.

Most recently, Hilda served as Energy consultant for Duke Energy and Vice President, Corporate Public Affairs with Progress Energy and, following the merger, with Duke Energy. While at Progress, Hilda established the Corporate Public Affairs function, which was expanded to serve 31 states and international interests in Central and South America at Duke. In that capacity, she collaborated with federal, state, and local officials and company leadership to develop responsible energy policy and advance the utility’s international interests.

Hilda served in operating roles with Progress Energy, including Vice President, Northern Region, with management of distribution of electric service for more than 600,000 customers and community relations with a budget of $80 million, and as Vice President, Energy Delivery Services, leading environmental services, financials, transmission and distribution services, commercial, industrial and governmental account management, and support services. In both roles, she achieved top quartile performance in safety, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement.

Hilda has also demonstrated leadership in economic development, serving as Progress Energy’s liaison with International Departments of Commerce to bring business to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. In three years, she doubled Progress’ annual revenue stream from new industries.

Hilda began her career on the financial side, serving as an accountant for Colgate Palmolive, a senior auditor for Arthur Andersen, and a financial analyst for Progress.

Hilda holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University Fuqua School of Business. She also completed graduate studies in taxation from St. John’s University and the Executive Program from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Hilda serves as Vice Chair of the board of directors of RTI International, as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chair Audit Committee, Board of Advisors-8 Rivers Financial Capital, an energy technology company and Chair of the Board for NC Dental Services, Inc, an insurance company for dentists. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the NC A&T State University Board of Trustees and previously, she served as National Chair of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, Board of Trustees of the College Foundation of North Carolina; was Co-Chair of the North Carolina Governor’s transition team and State’s Budget Reform and Accountability Commission; Presidentially nominated Board Member of the National Parks Foundation; State Board Member/Chair of the North Carolina Community College System; and Governor-appointed Treasurer for the NC Institute of Medicine. Hilda is a Chapter Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and a Member of Women Corporate Directors. In 2018 she was recognized and selected as a Director to Watch by The Visionary Board. She was inducted into the 2020 Lifetime Hall of Fame for NCA&T State University Business School.