by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work is pleased to welcome five new members to its Board of Advisors for the 2024–25 academic year.
The members, who were appointed to a two-year term, will help the School identify and achieve its goals as it works to advance equity, transform systems and improve lives.
We spoke with one of the newest Board members, Mary Eliza McIlhenny, to learn more about her passion for social work, her background and what she hopes to accomplish on the Board. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Can you tell me about your work experience?
I’m a mom of three. That is my primary job right now. In the past, I’ve worked in CSR [corporate social responsibility] for Fortune 500 companies and fell in love with giving back to the community. The company I worked for the most extended period was Entergy Corporation. I got my MBA from the University of North Carolina at Kenan-Flagler Business School. Curiosity Stream hired me to do precisely what my background had prepared me for, working with associations and corporations to see if we can utilize Curiosity Stream for employees and retirees. Over the last two years, I’ve started several companies working directly with rural health in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. It’s up and running, not just grassroots, but constantly changing. I have a great team that I work with and alongside.
I am involved in my family’s business, McIlhenny Company. We make a hot sauce called Tabasco. I’ve served as an associate director on the board. The company has been in existence since 1868 and is family-owned and operated.
What made you passionate about social work and community engagement?
I started working for the New York Blood Center when I moved from a company called MVision. It was a venture capitalist firm. It wasn’t hitting me in the right places. So, I called a headhunter, and he introduced me to the New York Blood Center as a 25-year-old. My first job out of college was for the Historic Charleston Foundation, and I was working in the philanthropic community. So, as I approached this next chapter of young adulthood, I fell in love with it. Because of stem cell research, it was probably the most prosperous 501C3 non-profit. It was like seeing corporate social responsibility from a non-profit point of view because we had a lot of money coming into this one organization in New York.
In a sense, that’s how I started to develop a passion for giving back. Giving back to my community started at a young age; as a third grader, I visited the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans to talk to some of the young children going through cancer, chemotherapy, and Leukemia. I was very involved with my church during elementary school. My passion for my faith and my community is part of me. After serving on the UNC Board of Visitors, this was the first place I wanted to get involved with [UNC School of Social Work]. It’s been a dream of mine.
Was there a specific moment when you decided to join the Board of Advisors at the School of Social Work?
On a Zoom call, I spoke with [Associate Dean for Advancement] Kandace Farrar. I led the meeting for departing Board of Visitors members, which I started with [Senior Director of Volunteer Engagement at UNC] Linda Douglas. It was planning for next chapter roles for the University for places where our departing Board members could find next steps, whether through volunteerism or being part of a new Board or organization within Carolina, to get their feet wet and not have to settle into something right after working four years on the Board, yet instead be informed.
It allowed all our departing Board members to see what we were doing as a community and which Boards, associations, or volunteer groups to which you could offer your time.
I hopped in a Zoom breakout room, which was, for better or worse, the best way to do it, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. You could fit more people in these Zoom rooms in a Q&A format and learn about what’s happening in these areas at the University. There, I met Kandace.
Kandace mentioned that the School of Social Work’s Board of Advisors involves many people, including some who are not alumni. These are people who are just trying to make a difference. And all at once, it just hit me: “I want to spend my time here.”
What community engagement work are you doing currently in Austin?
I am the head of traffic and safety on the CAC [Casis Advisory Council] for Casis Elementary. I teach Sunday school for my church. I volunteer my time with WAYA [West Austin Youth Association], where all the kids go to play their sports, through coaching and philanthropic efforts. I’ll be heavily involved with the community that way, and there are many drives and fundraisers.
I just left a Helping Hands meeting, which is an organization that was started in 1889 to help children who have left abuse and are traumatized to be re-homed, whether they’re fostered or adopted, or we’re able to find the next blood relative.
I was in tears leaving the meeting today. We use the word traumatic, and we say, “Oh, I’ve been through trauma in my life.” But that’s not the actual definition. The stories that I’m hearing have the definition. I will be focusing more time there, too, moving forward.
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