David C. Hudson

1999 Honoree - Michael Newton Award

Biography

David C. Hudson is the former president and chief executive officer of the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) in Portland, OR. There he was responsible for articulating the vision for the regional council and implementing the directives of the Board. Working with a staff of 17, he engaged colleagues, board members, constituents, and stakeholders in a revisioning of RACC resulting in a reorganization that highlights new vision, mission, and core value statements as well as the simplification, clarification, and consolidation of the RACC grantmaking program. Hudson has an extensive background in fundraising, strategic planning, grantmaking, organizational and board development, and marketing. He was on the boards of the statewide Oregon Cultural Advocacy Coalition, Portland Cultural District Council, and Portland State University Creative Industries Studies. Nationally, he served as an American for the Arts Oregon Statewide Advocacy Chair and is a member of its United Arts Fund Council. Hudson is a leader in the United Arts Fund movement, which is a combined effort of agencies to raise money on behalf of arts institutions in the community. In 1999, Americans for the Arts presented Hudson with the prestigious Michael Newton Award, which recognizes exemplary leadership skills and extraordinary dedication to support the arts through a United Arts Fund. Currently, he serves on the executive committee of the United States Urban Arts Federation, comprising the CEOs of local arts agencies the top 50 communities based on population. In addition, Hudson has served as a resource consultant to the Arts Education Partnership of The Kennedy Center and a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.