A leadership change at the Suffolk Foundation is going to be a good one for the foundation and the community it supports, the outgoing executive director believes.

Billy Hill, who is 70 years old, said he no longer has the energy required for the position.

“I felt like they needed someone younger to come in and do some of the things that needed to be done to accomplish the mission of the foundation,” Hill said. “The timing was right for me.”

The Suffolk Foundation started in May 2007 with about $2.5 million in assets, Hill said. It currently has between $5.75 million and $6 million in assets.

Every year, it gives grants from its unrestricted fund and also manages a number of scholarship funds and other restricted funds. Last year, the foundation received about $2.3 million in gifts and distributed more than $1.4 million in total grants and scholarships.

Hill said he hopes the new executive director will have the ability to drum up new income for the foundation as well as manage the outflow.

“You’ve got to have the money coming in to give the money out,” Hill said.

Also important, he said, is to be able to assess and meet the needs of the community, working with other community partners to make that happen.

Enter Win Winslow, the new executive director, who has been part of community nonprofits as either a volunteer or a staff member since 2000.

Most recently, he has been with the United Way of South Hampton Roads as its Western Tidewater relationship manager, which included working in Suffolk.

“I have such a passion for helping the community we live in,” he said. “This is the best possible way I can see to do that.”

He also said he looks forward to helping potential donors meet their philanthropy goals and evaluating gift recipients.

“It’s exciting to me,” he said. “Whenever a need arises in the community, the Suffolk Foundation wants to be a part of fixing the problem.”

As for Hill’s retirement plans, he and his wife are building a cottage in the Outer Banks, which they will use as a vacation home at first and could consider moving there. He also hopes to spend more time with his Outer Banks-based grandchildren, ages 16 and 4.

For more information on the foundation, call 923-9090 or visit www.suffolkfoundation.org.