Melanie Hudson is a seasoned consultant with more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications, coalition building, nonprofit sector leadership, and impact advocacy campaigns for children, families, health, and the environment. She is a recognized leader with a demonstrated track record of designing and managing national programs and policy solutions that have achieved lasting results.

At MH Public Affairs, Melanie uses her expertise to drive change for a diverse set of organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She has advised CEOs and executive leaders on a broad range of management, organizational, political, and communications challenges and specializes in bringing diverse voices and impacted communities together in conversation and action. She is known for creating high-impact events, including conferences, roundtables, and a book tour for House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American Member of Congress. Since 2015, Melanie has advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, facilitating public policy engagement with community-based organizations and coalitions.

Previously, Melanie served as the executive director of the Children’s Health Forum, an advocacy organization founded by the late civil rights champion Dr. Benjamin Hooks and former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, and dedicated to the prevention and eradication of childhood diseases in persistent poverty communities. Melanie’s advocacy and outreach helped secure $500 million for state and local childhood lead poisoning prevention, and under her leadership, the organization also launched a $10 million effort to provide grants for education, outreach, remediation, and enforcement, serving as a national model for other cities and states.

Melanie has also served at the Aspen Institute and is a veteran of several political campaigns. She is a candidate for a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Government from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Vanderbilt University and a certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute. She is active in the Washington, DC, political and arts communities and served for many years on the board of directors for Rorschach Theatre. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and daughter.