About Dale Hileman
Dale Hileman passed away in February 2015 after a lifetime of service to eastern Ohio. He was a native of Columbiana County and worked for Columbia Gas of Ohio for 40 years, serving Carrollton, Jackson and Cambridge in Appalachian Ohio. After his retirement, he remained committed to improving quality of life and steadfastly promoting his community of Cambridge in Guernsey County, where he shared his final years with his wife, Evelyn.
Known to take an active role in whatever community he called home, Mr. Hileman is described as a humble man who had a great gift for networking to bring people together for the greater good while remaining behind the scenes and away from public praise or recognition.
The Dale Hileman Legacy Fund was founded with the support of the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA), an organization that Mr. Hileman helped found to promote economic growth and development in eastern Ohio. Counties served by EODA and grants from the Dale Hileman Legacy Fund include Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas and Washington.
Previous grant recipients
- The Columbiana County Educational Service Center received funding to support a Summer Manufacturing Camp, held in collaboration with the Columbiana County Business Advisory Council and 11 local school districts.
- The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum in Tuscarawas County received funding to support a partnership with Claymont High School that provides summer jobs to low-income students interested in history as well as other entrepreneurial areas such as cooking, marketing, business and event planning.
- Nelsonville-York High School in Athens County received funding to purchase a new oscillating spindle sander for its woodshop.
- The Urban Thrift & Opportunity Center of Urban Mission Ministries in Jefferson County received funding to purchase equipment needed to start its Recycled Remnants program, a social enterprise that employs people to cut clothing that would have been recycled into remnants to be sold.
- Homeless Hands of Zanesville in Muskingum County received funding to support its Media Center Services project, through which IT professionals help shelter residents obtain employment by providing computer training and assistance with resume building and job applications.
- Cambridge Main Street received funding to expand its “Even Bigfoot Shops Downtown” marketing campaign.
- The Ohio Valley Youth Network, serving Columbiana, Harrison and Jefferson counties, received funding for its Sycamore Young Entrepreneurs Program.
- The Athens-Meigs Educational Service Center received a grant for its Project RISE program to provide paid summer internships to high school students in Athens, Meigs and Perry counties.
- BRITE Energy Innovators received funding to provide outreach and technical assistance to local companies in Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison and Jefferson counties.
- The Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corporation received funding to support the purchase of Icehouse curriculum and educational resources for 15 local entrepreneurs.
- The Village of Chauncey in Athens County received funding to support the building and installation of a message board connected to a Baileys Trail system trailhead to feature listings for businesses, lodging, emergency contacts, park rules and event flyers.
- The Southern Perry Incubation Center for Entrepreneurs (SPICE) in Perry County received funding to support entrepreneurs in Perry County who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Tuscarawas Valley Heritage Inc. received funding to create marketing videos promoting career opportunities in Tuscarawas County.
- The United Way of Guernsey, Monroe, and Noble Counties received funding to support its Young Professionals Program.
- The Carrollton Exempted Village School District received funding to support a workforce development pilot project through which fifth, seventh, and ninth graders from the school district visited local manufacturers in Carroll County to explore manufacturing careers close to home.
- Leadership Columbiana County received funding to support leadership development programming for youth and adults in Columbiana County.
Support the Dale Hileman Legacy Fund
Gifts to the Dale Hileman Legacy Fund are tax-deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, royalties, insurance beneficiaries and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.
To mail your donation, please designate the fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, 35 Public Square, Nelsonville, OH 45764.
Donations can be made online by designating the Dale Hileman Legacy Fund when donating.