We are the neighborhood association of the historic Hillside neighborhood, where the former Helen Hunt Elementary School was built in 1902! We boast a variety of home styles, a mixture of locally-owned and neighborhood businesses, the 190 acre Memorial Park complex & Prospect Lake, and some of the most amazing views of Pikes Peak in the city. Our neighbors are amazing too -- we are the Hillside Heartbeat -- and together we are strengthening our community connections and identifying opportunities to make our community continue to thrive.
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Neighborhood History & Board of Directors
The story of a Hillside neighborhood association began in the early 1990's and has evolved, adapted, and modified its structure, practices, and community engagement over time. Today's Hillside Advisory Team (HAT) neighborhood association, was initiated in 2017, and began meeting regularly in 2019.
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HAT's Story
In 2017 two teenage girls, while doing a project, were discouraged to see the run down state of the Leon Young Pavilion Park in the Hillside neighborhood. The Colorado Trust saw their project and got involved. Soon neighbors were meeting regularly to discuss the pavilion and the improvements they wanted to see there. The group grew and began meeting regularly in early 2019, inviting neighbors to participate in the improvement of our neighborhood in general. The Hillside Advisory Team formed to lead this larger neighborhood group. In 2023 the team became organized and a board was elected with the mission of building pride in Hillside by representing the neighbors and pursuing the issues that matter to them.
Hillside Advisory Team Board of Directors
Chris Rudnick is the HAT Board of Directors President. He has lived in the Hillside Neighborhood since 2004. Chris has a background in geology and education. He has been active with the Hillside Advisory Board for 6 years. Hillside has seen many positive changes in the 20 years that he has lived in the area and he is excited to be part of a neighborhood organization that is part of the positive changes. Chris enjoys walking the neighborhood with his dog and spending time in the outdoors, including Memorial Park and Prospect Lake.
Sam Friesema is the HAT Board Vice President and has lived in the Hillside Neighborhood since 2017. Sam has an architecture and urban design background and currently serves on the city's Downtown Review Board and the Urban Renewal Authority. Sam enjoys time with his family, hiking, traveling, and hanging out in the front yard with neighbors.
Rochelle Taylor in the HAT Board of Director Secretary, grew up in Hillside and attended both Helen Hunt Elementary and South Junior High Schools. She is a passionate community volunteer who has served in various capacities for the greater part of her adult life as a communications creator, newsletter writer/editor, teacher, mentor, and board member of non-profit organizations in Colorado Springs and in the Denver Metro area. Since her retirement from a 45-year career in administration and education, Rochelle’s volunteer service continues through commitment to her faith community, as the Board Secretary of Caleb Approach, the Just A Touch Ministries marketing and communications specialist, and the Pursuing Academic and Cultural Excellence (PACE) former lead mentor. In her spare time, Rochelle tackles crossword and sudoku puzzles, and enjoys walking through the Hillside neighborhood, dancing, traveling, and spending time with family, friends, and her adorable French bulldogs.
Josh Rafail has lived in the Hillside Neighborhood since 2017, in the same house where his daughter was born. He was drawn to Hillside because of the great people who he calls neighbors. Josh would like to see those same people continue to live and thrive in our neighborhood. Josh supports Hillside remaining a unique, diverse, and spirited neighborhood for generations to come. Josh enjoys serving the community through work with the Pikes Peak Makerspace, Concrete Couch, and of course the Hillside Advisory Team. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his daughter, breakdancing, writing, video games, listening to music, and working on projects at the makerspace.
Justice Lord is a state and national activist. He hails from greater New York City where he began his solo crusade for empowerment and equality for all he held dear. He went on to graduate cum laude from Pennsylvania State University with 2 degrees: a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in psychology and sociology with a concentration in letters arts and sciences. He used his degrees and experience to influence his DEI work long before he knew the terms. He now stands before you with decades of experience on economical and equitable ground that has shaped many forms of modern revolutionarism. He sits on various boards to support the Colorado Springs Community such as the D20 parents sounding board, CHP resiliency board for club q along with prism advisory council, He also sits on one of the most prominent boards on the South end: Hillside advisory board. Recently, he was hired as the Southern Regional Organizer for the Freedom to Marry Colorado campaign. His zeal for equality stands magnanimous to the leaders of our time and he intends to be around making a difference for years to come.
Deborah Maddox is the HAT Board of Directors Treasurer and a long time resident of the Hillside Neighborhood. From a military family, Deborah's family moved to the Hillside neighborhood in 1963, and she attended Helen Hunt Elementary, South Junior High, and Wasson High School. After high school Deborah attended Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, before returning to Colorado Springs to care for her parents and attend UCCS. Deborah retired from a 35-year career with the US Postal Service in 2020. She and her husband, now spend their leisure time fishing, traveling, doing volunteer work in the community, and caring for Deb's aging mother.
Pastor Paul Nelson is the pastor of The Living Word Baptist Church in the Hillside Neighborhood.
June Waller hails from New York, but has been a fixture in Colorado Springs for more than 50 years as an advocate for social justice issues and inspiring others to get involved in their community. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Waller made a career in strategic planning, training personnel, and counseling residents on quality of life improvements. She worked as the Executive Director of Colorado Springs Housing Authority, managed public and private housing developments, researched affordable housing solutions, made presentations to community groups, and sat on various commissions. She has served on countless boards and committees, including the Foundation for School District 11, NAACP Executive Committee, the Citizen Transportation Advisory Board, the Citizens Advisory Committee for Colorado Springs Police Department, and the Black Latino Leadership Coalition of Colorado Springs. Today, in addition to serving as a board member of the Hillside Advisory Team BOD, she is a board member at large of Caleb Approach. Ms. Waller is the founder of Let's Do It Again, a small retail shop of gently used educational toys for children. She says she started this endeavor to make sure children today are aware of other forms of learning and entertainment outside of their electronic devices. All of the proceeds from Let's Do It Again are donated to local non-profit organizations.