A message to our members and friends from President & CEO Alex Feldman:
It is my sad task to inform you that Council founder and Chairman Emeritus Rod Hills died October 29, 2014.
Thirty years ago, Rod was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State that was matched two to one by the private sector to establish an organization that would promote and support ASEAN. With the support of Caltex (now Chevron) and IBM, Rod founded what is today the US-ASEAN Business Council. In 1985, he served as the first chairman of the Council and played a critical role in supporting the Council ever since, whether providing guidance to subsequent chairmen or advising government officials of the United States and the ASEAN countries or leaders in the private sector.
The past 30 years have seen a significant strengthening of ties between the United States and ASEAN. And Rod was there for every one of those years.
He served the United States in many capacities throughout his life, including as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Ford Administration, and he had an exemplary career in the legal profession. But his dedication and passion for Southeast Asia and his appreciation for the potential that ASEAN creates is a testament to the difference one person can make.
Significantly, he founded and became chairman of the Hills Program on Governance that established Centers for the Study of Governance in academic institutions around the globe, including at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines and the University of Indonesia. This initiative aims to identify serious governance problems in both the public and private spheres, and it works to develop a better understanding of the corrupting influences that create such problems and organize locally-led efforts to reduce those influences.
I know that many of you knew him well and admired and respected him deeply. I can take some small comfort, as I am sure you do, in knowing that this was conveyed to him less than a month ago when we honored him with a special tribute for his service to the Council at our 30th Anniversary Gala in Washington.
He was our fiercest champion, our fondest critic and our rock, and he served as a mentor to me and to so many members of the Council staff throughout our history. Even more importantly, he was a friend and confidant, and perpetually generous of spirit and wisdom. He was present at virtually every Board, Executive and Audit Committee meeting since I joined the Council in June of 2009. His advice at these meetings was always from the heart but also brought his tremendous intellect which always helped inform the conversation and made the Council stronger.
His passing is a tremendous loss to the Council – there is no question that we owe enormous credit to him for building the institution to what it is today. Rod's obituary appears in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and the Washington Post. All three are tributes to a remarkable man and a life well lived. As you will note, Rod had a great impact on the Council but also contributed to the United States of America in many other ways as well.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Fidelity Charitable, a charity at which a fund has been established to make contributions to The Hills Governance Center in memory of Roderick M. Hills. Checks should be made payable to Fidelity Charitable and should be sent to Fidelity Charitable, P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277-0053. Please reference The Hills Governance Fund in the memo field of your check.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, November 24 at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, D.C. A reception will follow at the Metropolitan Club, 1700 H Street, NW, Washington D.C.