Sunday Interview with Cedric Hill: 'My words are relationship and fellowship'

Cedric Hill was recently installed as the 2016 chairman of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

As owner of Hill Watson Peoples Funeral Services, he runs a local business that has been in his family for three generations.

Hill sat down with reporter Alva James-Johnson and talked about his background, business and vision for the chamber.

Here are excerpts from the interview, with the content and order of the questions edited slightly for length and clarity.

Everyone has a beginning. So what was your childhood like growing up here in Columbus?

Primarily being a child of business owners, I think when you look at the time of my growing up... the mood or mode in Columbus was basically the city was textile, primarily. So the concept was to get out of high school, get a job, work that job hard and retire and settle in. But as time changed and went along -- there's no negative against my family -- (but education) was just not something that they were abreast to or really knowledgeable of. The first graduates inside of my family unit were (my) twin sisters and they graduated Albany University. That sort of started that process.

Later, when I got married and had children, my daughter graduated from Spelman (College) -- which we're very proud of that -- in biology and a master's degree in public health. Now she's doing a fellowship with the CDC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with intentions of going to medical school. We really understood then, education's really the key. Likewise, my son graduated from Morehouse (College) and he's doing a Ph.D. at Rice (University) in Houston, Texas. We transitioned, if you will, from the work of the hands to the work of the mind.

How were you able to develop your skills as an entrepreneur?

For me to catch up, I felt like the key was to get involved in the community and to learn. ... As I moved up, it required me to get more up front, out front and community-oriented. Thus I became associated with our knowledgeable Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce. That put me in to several different capacities of understanding how the city works, how things in government function and how communities grow, develop and thrive. I like to think that was the beginning of a complete mindset change for (me) because I was thinking, "Not only can a community be changed, but you can get involved in it to make some of that change happen."

I had a little concept that I will always tell people: "Rather than going to a fast-moving, progressive community such as Atlanta, nothing wrong with that, I did that myself, but why not be a part of the community that you by your own efforts can watch and nurture and help to grow in that process?" That was sort of my theory. I think that (there are) people here that are doing that.

How did your family get in to the funeral business?

My mother's father was able to acquire interest in a funeral home that was actually established by a former physician that was here in town, Dr. Thomas H. Brewer. He was able to acquire his portions in the business and, ultimately, obtain the entire business itself, which was Peoples Funeral Service. ... Being that it was on my mother's side, she was involved and I have an uncle that was actually also involved. I'm third generation in that line, if you will.

Was this after Dr. Brewer's assassination?

... They knew him during the era of his mission or practice in the downtown Columbus area, but it was after his assassination that the acquisition was made, yes.

A lot of times it's difficult transferring a business from one generation to the next. What is it that has made your family able to do that successfully?

To be perfectly honest with you, it has not been without its struggles. There's not enough to be said about education. When my forefathers came into the business it was basically ... classified as a trade. ... So many of them were grandfathered. ... They went on to be the professionals that they were. Now what's required is a formal education to be able to obtain the licensures that are required to occupy, run and be licensed in the field both of funeral director and embalming. And continued education goes along with that also. ... The transition, in many respects, was a little tough getting people to understand that there's a new era, a new day and time, and things are done a little bit differently.

How has the funeral industry changed over the years?

Funeral service has changed tremendously just in my lifetime from what it used to be. Fundamentally, things were just cookie cutter. You chose between A, B, C and D. That was just all that there was to it. Now it becomes whatever it is that a person desires as a celebration of life for the person that we're celebrating. You have to listen to that and capture that, wherever that may be, however that may be and in whatever capacity that that may be. Much has changed.

OK, tell me how you ended up working for the Georgia Department of Agriculture?

When I went through Gupton-Jones (College of Mortuary Science) and returned back to Columbus... the funeral home at that time was not such that it could employ me full-time. So I was fortunate to be able to obtain a job with the Georgia Department of Agriculture that put me back in the Columbus area. I was a fuel analyst for 16 counties surrounding the Columbus area. It had me at home every night so that I could have a day job and moonlight with the funeral home. As time went on and business grew, that role became a little bit too wide for me to be able to continue. So we left the Department of Agriculture and, of course, went and put all of our time in the funeral business and the community and the industry itself.

You also serve on the federal government's Disaster Mortuary Operation Response Team, is that correct?

... In 1994 there was a national disaster in the Albany, Ga., area, in which three to four cemeteries on the Flint River were basically washed out. Because we've got something similar here (with the) Chattahoochee River (and) East Porterdale (Cemetery), and I've got family members that are buried there (in) Porterdale and Riverdale (Cemetery), I had the thought in my mind, "That river came over its banks. That same thing could possibly happen to our community." I wanted to go and volunteer, help some of those folks there, the families. I had colleagues there that I'm sure were devastated because there were literally hundreds of years in those cemeteries.

I went down there as a volunteer and had been down there probably for a couple of weeks only to find that the federal government had contractors at that time that were actually working. I had a guy come up to me and (say), "We think that we like your work ethic. We want you to be a part of us." ... Anytime there are mass casualties as it relates to a national disaster or terrorism, with anything like that, we are the ones that actually go in to retrieve the decedents with identification and return them either back to their family or in some peaceful burial site.

And 9/11 was one of the situations you responded to?

Yes, it was. From Albany, we did some things up in North Carolina similar to Albany. ... (9/11) was not what any of us expected. We all thought that it could've easily been a hundred thousand people in those two towers -- (that's) not to take anything from the devastation of what was there. I went back and forth for probably about nine months on different tours. To (think), as we sit here today, that there's still identification processes still going on with that. Just because it's not in our community that doesn't mean it goes away. ... Hurricane Katrina was another situation where it was mass, broad devastation over a huge area.

How did you become active in the chamber?

Forever in our business, (we've had) a decal on the door that we were members. ... I was like, "What does that actually mean?" ... I was trying to find out what the chamber is, what the chamber does, how we can get involved and how we can be a catalyst for things that the chamber's trying to do in the community. First I joined, and then I began to look at some of the things and got involved in various committees.

... I joined with a different expectation than what the reality was. It wasn't necessarily the best, but I didn't give up. I continued to stay because I said, "If it's going to be what I want it to be, why not be a part of making it what it should be?" ... That was sort of my beginning, and through associations and committees and different aspects of it, I was asked to join the board of directors. On the board of directors, I didn't want to necessarily sit on the board. I wanted to be active, so we did some active things in the community -- I guess some of that activity is what got me probably in the executive capacity and quite possibly where I am now.

I don't know if that was an evolution or a mistake or an accident waiting to happen, but I'm excited about it. I'm excited about what we have at our disposal right now as a community because right in the middle of our sitting here this morning, Columbus is changing and has changed. We have a new president of the chamber. The past president had done a tremendous job, but we have a new fresh set of eyes with a fresh set of concepts. ... We see this as being a great opportunity in Columbus now to re-energize, recharge and revitalize to get our community going.

When you say that you thought this was an opportunity to help to make it what you think it should be, what do you think the chamber should be?

It should be a resource center for people who both are desiring to be entrepreneurs and those who are already presently in business and trying to figure out "Who am I? Where am I? And what am I supposed to be doing?" ... The chamber also is strongly involved in economic development. ... The intention is to look at improving the job unemployment rates in Columbus and how we can attract greater industry.

Are you the first black chair of the chamber?

Actually not. I'm second. Many may not know this, but the first actually was an uncle of mine, Aldric M. Hayes. I believe that would have been in 1995. He was actually married to my mother's sister. He retired military, originally from Florida. He and his wife, my aunt, settled here in Columbus. He became a part of the chamber, did very well in business.

You were installed at the Liberty Theatre. What is the significance of that venue?

First of all, the Liberty, for me, has been an icon in Columbus, or a hidden jewel, if you will. When I came up as a kid, it was a place where you went for (outreach). As time went along, it became more of a historic institution, but not necessarily what I would say (is) utilized or viable in the community itself. ... The chamber wants to find places like that; find places that are both historically savvy and also things that have been a part of the community for quite some time that carry a story and a life of (their) own.

... The Liberty is a beginning. There are other places throughout the city that we want to shine a light on and say, "You are a part of our community."

... We felt (with the) different things that we're looking to do in the community, it was just one of the best places that we could pull out for an evening of transition as it relates to the chamber itself.

Even broader than the Liberty Theatre, the Liberty District has been an area that a lot of people, especially in the black community, believe has been neglected. What role do you see the chamber playing in trying to revitalize an area like that?

I'd like to think that we would be able to do a "come-to-the table" for that district to see what the district actually wants to happen, in conjunction with the directive of the city and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and see how we can make that a win-win for everybody; because I know that there are people who have held on to that district for quite some time with a vision and a dream to see it be. And that's where we want to get to... to see how can we make that happen and how can we make that again one of the jewels in this city, because the Liberty has a rich history in Columbus, Ga.

Do you have a lot of black members at the chamber at this point?

Yes and no. When I say yes and no, what I mean is, for me, the definition of a member is not just on the roll. A member is actually, "I've paid my membership fee, but I'm also currently involved." ... It's difficult for people to take from their shops, from their work every day, to potentially meet. So we're going to do some outreach, we're going to go where people are because we want to know what's important to them.

The U. S. Census recently came out with some statistics through a study that they do every five years. It shows the poverty rate being stagnant here in Columbus despite the fact that we've pretty much come out of the Great Recession. The Ledger-Enquirer also recently published a story about the number of Title 1 schools increasing in Columbus. Why do you think the poverty level still remains a problem here?

In a word, "education," because I think education is the key of any component. When we first started our discussion here, the thought process was that if you got through high school and you got a job, you were sound. But the truth of the matter is, that's not so. What you've got to do is education, and learning has got to be a lifetime process. So when we look at the school system as you've got it now, some kids will be able to go through high school on to four-year institutions and do well. Others won't. And that's not negativity to them; it's just a matter of finding their passion.

... Case in point, I did a community college because I was not fit at that point and time for a four-year institution. But from there, I could find my niche and where I was. But it required me to continue to learn.

... My generation, which might have been the workforce guys, has got to institute in our children, "Learn, go to school, take continuing education. Look at other places that you can begin to go to educate yourself, because the things that are being looked at as industry moves into Columbus, (the question remains:) Will I be qualified for those positions when they come?" I've got to look at it from that perspective. I just can't be here and say, "I'm just going to stay on the field until the ball gets here." I've got to be doing some practicing and some exercising. I've got to do some gym work myself.

You've emphasized "relationships and fellowship" as a priority in your new role as chair of the chamber. Can you elaborate on that?

... I'll just give you a personal example. In my business, when I would sit and look at things that I needed (I would ask): "How do I get to the next step? How do I go to where I'm trying to go? How do I -- whatever? ... It made me feel isolated because I didn't think that there was anybody else that understood. It caused me to think that I needed to go find people just like me. But that's not actually the truth. What I needed to do is go find people that are different from me. When I find people that are different from me, they show me a different angle of who I am. When you get that concept of diversity, it brings about a whole different area of thinking and transformation.

According to the September 2015 Regional Prosperity Report, Columbus has not been growing as rapidly as some of the other cities in the Southeast and there's been a lot of difficulty attracting businesses. What do you see the chamber doing in the near future to address that problem?

The economic development department of the chamber is a new and growing department that we kind of want to put a lot of interest in going forward. ... In order to attract businesses to the community, you've got to go to them and figure out what it is that they want. And then Columbus has got to figure out, in itself, what is it that we want to become as industry itself? What's going to be our target audience? ... Do we want to be arts? Or do we want to be music? Or do we want to be riverfront development?

... You've got, from an economic perspective, departments through here and the city itself that are looking at industry to attract here. But we've got some homework to do also. Because when you're looking to have people come in the community, education is one of those things that they look at, your school system, quality of life, your crime rate, various different things in that respect.

What role do you see young professionals playing in the revitalization of the area economically?

To be honest with you, I see the young professionals as being the icing on the cake, because they're the new, innovative free-thinkers that cross and transcend all lines and boundaries, and there are no limits. My son comes in here from Houston and it's just like he's in Houston. There's really no change, because his friends are thinking from a progressive thought process. So when he comes here, he's saying, "Columbus is moving in the right direction." And, to me, that's a solid statement that comes from the outside back to the inside, from someone who went to school here and looked at Columbus as maybe not a place that he would ever come back to to work or live.

What's happening with minority businesses here in Columbus?

... There was a report recently that Columbus was one of the top cities for minority businesses. I was very, very happy to hear that. But by the same token, what we want to do is we want to be able to touch on that and harness that as it relates to the chamber. Because if that is indeed the case, we want to get in the midst of that to be able to see what we can do to make that better.

And, of course, as we talked about with the Liberty, I think one of the greatest components that would be necessary with much of that is exposure. I think there are some businesses that are doing well in Columbus, but people just don't know that they are here. So we want to be able to sound the alarm. We've got some great things going on in Columbus, and we want to announce you, we want to be able to give you a "front street" opportunity, saying, "Here's what we're doing, and we're doing it in a productive and progressive way, and we want to invite people to support that."

So what is your overall vision for 2016?

...Again, my words are "relationship and fellowship." We've got a new chair of the board, naturally, because we're sitting here. We have a new CEO who runs the chamber, and we have some new things that are happening in Columbus. So what we want to do is kind of get out in the community. We want to knock on some doors. We want to shake some hands. We want to introduce what it is that we're doing and invite some people to have some great fellowship around things that we're looking to get done in Columbus.

Bio

Name: Cedric Hill

Age: 58

Hometown: Columbus

Current residence: Midland

Job: Owner of Hill Watson Peoples Funeral Service

Previous jobs: Senior fuel inspector at Georgia Department of Agriculture for 15 years

Education: 1975 graduate of Spencer High School; attended Albany State College; graduated from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta

Family: Wife, Daphne; daughter, Ashley; and son, Cedric II

This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Sunday Interview with Cedric Hill: 'My words are relationship and fellowship' ."