Hilary Bass is the Senior Manager of Bay Area Initiatives at NICJR. In this role, she manages NICJR’s projects and direct service programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Neighborhood Opportunity and Accountability Board (NOAB) Initiative. Hilary is a dynamic public sector leader with a proven track record in driving results through innovative public safety initiatives, community development, and strategic collaboration. Known for her expertise in creative placemaking and community engagement, Hilary is dedicated to establishing vibrant public spaces and improved public systems that foster positive societal change and long-term improvements in public safety.
Prior to NICJR, Hilary served as Executive Director of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL), leading the development and daily oversight of the organization. Under her leadership, DSAL grew to become a 70-person organization with a nearly $3 million budget. Over the course of 12 years, she secured over $30 million in funding for impactful community-based projects, shaping outcomes in public safety, public health, and economic and community development. Her efforts with DSAL included working from within the Sheriff’s Office to develop a hyper-local food system in Alameda County as a strategy to address economic development for the reentry community while simultaneously reducing food insecurity and increasing health outcomes for thousands of county residents. Her work also included the development of a free athletics department serving the low-income youth and families of unincorporated Alameda County as a strategy to prevent crime by building healthy people. Additionally, she brought in resources for local community development initiatives such as murals on 11 facades of small businesses to make neighborhoods safer and help the business community thrive. Through all of this work, she has developed strong expertise in operations, program development, and fundraising as well as excellent skills in building positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Hilary holds a degree in Sociology and Urban Studies from Boston University and was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018 as an Emerging Leader.