Candidate for
Council Member; City of Santa Cruz

Hilary spent her childhood in a small New Hampshire town, moving with her family to Los Gatos just before entering Los Gatos High School. After graduation from UC Santa Cruz, she met her now husband, Dr. David Shuman, a local veterinarian; together they built Westside Animal Hospital in Downtown Santa Cruz. While helping to establish the business Hilary became a Realtor and Broker Associate at Karon Properties and began to donate time to local causes.

As a past President and Board Member of Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club, Hilary has worked on local fundraising and community service projects. She has twice co-chaired the club's annual bike ride that raises funds for the new Rotary Track and Field at Santa Cruz High School. In 2004, she was part of the Rotary Team worked in Grand Isle, Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Katrina clean up; the following year, she participated in the Rotary's construction of a Chacala, Mexico preschool playground.

When the Santa Cruz Beach Flats Community Center lost its public funding in early 2009, Hilary launched two fundraising events and drove other community efforts to aid the organization. Her work resulted in more than $40,000 in donations enabling the Center to continue to provide care, services and after-school programs for children and residents of the Beach Flats neighborhood. Beach Flats is now under the aegis of Community Bridges, which invited Hilary to join its Board of Directors.

In Fall 2009, Hilary co-chaired the production of the Rotary's "Raising Hope by Raising a House." The event, attended by over 400 local residents, garnered both local and regional media attention. It netted over $20,000 for the benefit of the Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, the mission of which is to help children suffering from very serious illnesses.

As a member of the City of Santa Cruz's Parks and Recreation Commission, Hilary combines her personal knowledge of local outdoor resources, her business experience and her technical expertise to help Santa Cruz with critical issues in tough economic times. Hilary's small business background plus her real estate negotiation skills are of value in her work as an active Board member of Habitat for Humanity Santa Cruz County.

By naming Hilary its 2009 "Woman of the Year," the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce recognized that Hilary has impacted the lives of many Santa Cruz residents who benefit from the programs she has made possible.