2021 - Neile Litton-Wolf Loves a Happy Ending

Neile Litton-Wolf joined ECC in early 2020 as the temporary manager of alumni and affinity relations for the ECC Foundation – or she puts it, “a relationship bridge builder” and became permanent full-time in the position in September 2020.

“In my first few months on the job, I had to spearhead the first-ever virtual ECC Foundation Gala,” Litton recalls. “It was a big undertaking and a great team effort as we collectively experienced fundraising in unchartered territories with a virtual setting.”

While relatively new to ECC, Litton is a long-time member of our community. Her first ECC experience was watching her daughter sing in the Blizzard Theatre with the Elgin Children’s Chorus and perform on stage with the Children’s Theater of Elgin – a daughter who recently graduated from ECC with an Associate of Arts degree. Litton’s other daughter, who also performed with the Children’s Theater began attending ECC this fall. 

Read on to learn more about Litton’s role at ECC and her love for happy endings.

In your words, what do you do at ECC? What do you want others to know about your job? My role at ECC is to engage, build and maintain relationships with our Alumni, Retirees, and other Affinity groups (i.e., Purses with Purpose), all for the benefit of our students. I also play a primary role in coordinating and organizing all of the Foundation events that directly touch our students to help them reach their educational goals.

What is your greatest accomplishment since you’ve been at ECC? My greatest accomplishment at ECC would have to be the first Virtual ECC Foundation Gala held in October 2020! It was a big undertaking and a great team effort as we collectively experienced fundraising in unchartered territories with a virtual setting. With the Foundation raising nearly $40,000 that night, the gala was a huge success, pushing the overall Student Success Fund total to over $108,000 raised.

Name a job or role at ECC that you would like to try for one day and explain why. I want to try the role of an English Professor at ECC as I majored in English in college, and I have been told I would have made a great teacher. 

If you could instantly be an expert in one thing, what would you choose? Piano playing. I have never learned to play an instrument or read sheet music, for that matter, and I would love to sit down and pound out “La Campanella,” which is said to be the most difficult piece ever written for the piano. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work (i.e., hobbies/interests)? If I am not working out , you can find me dancing or singing around the house or watching my daughter play on the softball fields. 

If you could live in a TV show, which show would it be and why? I would love to live in a Hallmark movie. There is so much love to go around, and there is always a happy ending regardless of any challenges. Love always wins! 

Where is the best place you’ve traveled? Or where would you like to visit? The most exciting place I’ve traveled to is Paris, France. My favorite place that I’ve traveled to is Jamaica as the weather is beautiful and the people are the most friendly. I want to visit Greece one day. 

You have to wear a t-shirt with just one word on it for an entire year. What would that word be, and why? I would wear a T-shirt that says “smile” because I think it would make the world would be a happier place if we walked around smiling at one another!

Share a fact about you that might surprise people to learn. I come from a family of six siblings, and we all have an “I” and an “N” in our names. 

What job have you held (besides ECC) that was the most fun, interesting, or difficult? Explain why. Before joining ECC, I worked in the health care insurance/well-being industry for 25+ years. It was very challenging as I was always traveling, but I got to visit some very cool places that I may not have seen otherwise! The most incredible experience I had during that time was a security audit for a client who reported directly to Barack Obama during his administration. 

Name someone you admire and explain why. I admire Oprah Winfrey. She chose a career where she was told she would fail and was determined to make something of her life despite her troubled childhood.

What was your most valuable life lesson? My most valuable life lesson is to never take anything for granted, as it can be gone in an instant.

Complete this sentence: “I enjoy working at ECC because … “ I enjoy working at ECC because of the smart and talented people I have the pleasure of working with.