Hillcrest High School
Alumni Association

Our Mission

The mission of the Hillcrest High School Alumni Association is to act as a means of communication among alumni, raise funds for student scholarships, honor distinguished alumni and community service recipients, and coordinate its principal fundraiser, The Platinum Panther Dinner & Scholarship Benefit.

Our Vision

HHSAA is an Alumni Association growing in size and awareness in an effort to increase monetary support for deserving students through scholarships given annually.

2025 Distinguished Alumni and Service Award Recipients

The Hillcrest Alumni Board is pleased to announce this year's Distinguished Alumni and Service Award recipients. They will be honored at the 10th Annual Platinum Panther Dinner and Scholarship Benefit to be held Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the Northwood Club in Dallas. This year's Distinguished Alumni recipients include Mike and Holly Hammond-Wilonsky, Richard Davis, and Celia Barshop. Tom Daulton will receive the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. Below is the Platinum Panther Dinner and Scholarship Benefit invitation. Go on line today to register for tickets, seating assignments and sponsorships.

2025 Distinguished Alumni

Celia Barshop

Read Celia's Bio

Education: HHS Class of ’80; Southern Methodist University - Bachelor of Arts History & Anthropology, ’84; Master of Liberal Arts, ’97.

Career: The Majestic Theater, Managing Director; The City of Dallas, Manager, Office of Special Events; The Dallas Morning News/DMN Media, Director, Event Marketing & Promotions; Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation/Klyde Warren Park, Vice President/Business Affairs; Fair Park, Senior Park Manager/The City of Dallas - Director of Sales, Fair Park First/Spectra; Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Managing Director, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

Community and Volunteer Activities: Women’s Center of Dallas, Board of Directors; Save the Children, Board of Directors; Dance for Life, Steering Committee Chair; Ballet Dallas, Advisory Council; Zero Tolerance for Violence, Board of Directors; Mexican Cultural Center, Trustee; OLCS/Lifewalk, Advisory Council; USA Film Festival, Board of Directors; An Uncommon Legacy Foundation, Board of Directors; Texas Womens Foundation; City of Rowlett Parks and Recreation, Board of Directors; University of Dallas, MBA – Sports & Entertainment Mgt., Guest Lecturer; ISES, International Special Event Society, Speaker; Third International Women’s Peace Conference, Advisory Board; City of Dallas, Executive Marketing Task Force, Committee Chair; Dallas Regional Chamber Communications Advisory Council; Arts & Humanities Commission, City of Rowlett; Leadership Rowlett; Friends of Wednesday’s Child, Board of Directors

Personal: Celia is married with two grown sons and a new daughter-in-law. Her brother, Bruce, graduated from HHS in 1974.

Richard Davis

Read Richard's Bio

Education: HHS Class of ’68; University of Texas at Austin, B.S. ’72;

Princeton University, Masters in Architecture, ‘74

Career: A highly respected and world class architect who plays on the national level, with homes designed in Texas, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and Saint Kitts, among other locations, with recognition in many publications and design awards. Over four years serving on the City of Dallas Planning Commission that greatly helped in the re-zoning and therefore, the revitalization of the Bishop Arts District and Oak Cliff.

Community and Volunteer Activities: Active service, volunteering, and impacting lives through his church, Highland Park Presbyterian Church. His time, energy, and active participation in Young Life for over 6 years which enhanced the lives of many young girls and boys at Thomas Jefferson High School. Active and continued philanthropy to many non-profits that help people in need.

Honors: Richard has received three Preservation Achievement Awards from Preservation Dallas for his remodel of the Kessler Theater into a music theater, his addition and remodel of a George Marble designed home on Lakewood Boulevard, and his additions to and remodel of a Federal Style home designed by Hal Thompson on Baltimore in the Volk Estates of University Park.

Personal: Richard has two sons.

Holly Hammond-Wilonsky

Read Holly's Bio

Education: HHS Class of ’90, Saddleback College, A.S Child Development, Missouri State University, B.S.English, Pacific Oaks College, M.A. Human Development

Career: Early Childhood Teacher, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano, CA. Asst. Kindergarten Teacher, Tinker Elementary School, Tampa, FL. Special ED Teacher & Case Manager, Rockwall-Heath HS, Rockwall, TX

Community and Volunteer Activities: St. Mary’s GA; Jacksonville, NC, Tampa, FL

Ran battalion-wide newspaper for 1000+ Marines, Sailors & 400+military families.
Lead liaison between battalion command teams and 400+ military families during training exercises prior to deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Okinawa, Haiti, Qatar & others
Assisted Family Readiness Officers, Marriage, Family & Life Counselors to provide military families & single Marines & Sailors a sense of community and support.
Military Spouse Liaison – Key Volunteer Network – U.S.M.C, Quantico, VA; San Clemente, CA; Kailua, HI.
Mentor and Special Events Planner – Girl Scouts of America, Orange County, CA
Founder & Board Member – Hawk Theatre Booster Club, Rockwall, TX

Honors:

U.S.M.C. 2003 & 2009 Battalion Commander Award & U.S.M.C 2015 Commanding General Award for service & volunteerism
Author of “So Much, Yet So More,” A Military Lifestyle read for Military wives
Nominee for Heroes at Home’s Military Spouse of the Year Award

Personal: Married to Lieutenant Colonel Mike Wilonsky with two children

Mike Wilonsky

Read Mike's Bio

Education: HHS Class of ’90, University of Oklahoma – B.S. in Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology, Marine Corps University, Yale University – Fellowship in International Security/Senior Executive Leadership Program

Career: 26 year career in Marine Corps. Deployed across the globe, 6 separate 6 month deployments, as a Crisis Response Team Leader, Tactical Advisor to defense forces, Strategic Engagement Officer & Global Defense Advisor to some of the worlds brightest political officials, participated in Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom. 1994 – Commissioned as a 2nd LT, Quantico, VA. Platoon Commander, Pendelton, CA. Trained in Tactical Recovery of Aircraft & Personnel, Cold Weather Survival, Helicopter Rope Suspension, & Jungle Warfare in Japan.1997 – School of Infantry Training Battalion, Exec. Officer & Commanding Officer of Company C.1998 – Capt. Wilonsky, Tactics Officer- writing individual training standards for infantrymen.1999 – Special Missions Branch, Special Operations Training Group. 2000 – Amphibious Warfare School, Platoon Commander, Quantico. 2001 –Shipboard Security Commander for three Hawaiian Islands. Deployed to Okinawa, Japan & the Middle East. 2003 – Battalion Asst. Operations Officer, leading exercises in Australia, Korea, and Thailand. 2004 – Exec. Officer, Marine Corps Security Force Co., overseeing 800 Marines and sailors in GA. Security Manager, Safety Officer, and Family Readiness Officer. 2007 – Deployed to Iraq, Haiti & the Middle East with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Camp Lejeune, NC. Interim – 1st Marine Division Current Operations Officer, managing the daily operations of 25,000 Marines and sailors preparing for or returning from deployment. 2014 – Returned to Camp Pendleton to take command of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines. 2021/22- after retirement as LT. COL. Wilonsky served as ROTC instructor, Allen HS, Allen, TX. 2023/present – Board Member & COO of the American Exchange HS program in US.

Honors: Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendations, Achievement Medals

Personal: Married to Holly Hammond-Wilonsky, with two children.

2025 Distinguished Service Award

Tom Daulton

Read Tom's Bio

Education: The University of Texas at Austin, Master of Business Administration ’81. The University of New Mexico Bachelor of Science (math) and a Bachelor of Business Administration ‘77.

Career: Tom Daulton has over 40 years of experience working with small and medium sized businesses, primarily in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. This includes eight years as a lending officer for MBank Dallas and seven years as the CFO at a medium sized printing company. For the past 25 years, he has been a private investor, seeking predominantly equity transactions in small businesses either for sale or in need of growth capital.At present, Mr. Daulton is a Trustee for the University of New Mexico Foundation and serves as chair-elect. He is also a Trustee for the Albuquerque Community Foundation and serves as chair of the finance committee.

Community and Volunteer Activities: In the past, he served 11 years in various board positions for the Edna Gladney Center for Adoption. Additionally, he spent 14 years on the UNM Alumni Association board and 14 years on the Anderson Alumni Council at UNM. He is currently treasurer and a founding director of the Pegasus Water Polo Academy in Dallas as well as serving as treasurer of the Hillcrest High School Community Foundation in Dallas.

Personal: Mr. Daulton is married with three children and lives in Dallas.

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