Historic Congressional Cemetery welcomes Executive Director

We are thrilled to share that the Historic Congressional Cemetery announced the selection of Mark Hudson as Executive Director. With more than three decades of experience in public history, Hudson comes to Congressional Cemetery from Tudor Place Historic House & Garden in Georgetown, where he served as Executive Director for more than nine years. He previously held leadership roles at heritage organizations in Vermont, Maryland, and Missouri. 

“Our cemetery is a vibrant and unique place, rich in both history and contemporary life,” said Richard Greene, Chairperson of the Board of Directors. “I am thrilled to find in Mark a leader with a reverence for the past and a deep understanding of how to steward community involvement in treasured spaces.”

At Tudor Place, Hudson raised funds and managed capital projects in support of the organization’s Master Preservation Plan while also guiding a reimagination of the site’s interpretation, culminating in the award-winning historic house tour Ancestral Spaces. At Congressional Cemetery, he’ll lead the conclusion of its in-progress master planning process, launch and implement a capital campaign to support implementation of the plan, strengthen organizational capacity, and grow local relationships.

 “It is an honor to take the helm at Congressional Cemetery,” Hudson said. “I was first engaged with the cemetery’s distinctive history, then was captivated by its imaginative and purposeful programming. I am eager to work with the staff, Board, and community to envision the cemetery’s future through the master planning process and beyond.” 

Hudson holds an MA degree in library science from the University of Missouri, as well as a Master of Historical Administration & Museum Studies and a BA in history and communications studies from the University of Kansas. Mark and his wife, Julie, share their home in Arlington with a Jack Russell terrier named Flynn.

Hudson advanced through an extensive national search led in partnership with Good Insight, an award-winning, Washington, DC-based executive search firm with an exclusive focus on nonprofits, associations, and foundations. He began his new role in September.