Few people have made as much – and as diverse – of an impact in coastal Alabama as Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson.
Over the last 30 or so years, Hudson has served her community in just about every way imaginable — and that stood true before she ever ran for public office. With a true public servant’s heart, she has voluntarily invested her time, energy, talent and passion into the place she proudly calls home.
Before her election in 2010 as the District Two representative on the Mobile County Commission, Hudson served nine years on the Mobile City Council.
She has participated in historic economic development initiatives such as site selections for the ThyssenKrupp Steel Plant (now AM/NS Calvert); the Austal USA shipbuilding facility; Airbus’ U.S. Manufacturing Facility at the Brookley Aeroplex and A220 expansion; and the Walmart Distribution and Amazon Sortation Centers.
However, it is not the grandeur of these projects – and many others – that drive Hudson to serve. For her, public service is truly about giving back, as she explained to Yellowhammer News.
“Absolutely the most rewarding aspects of my career as an elected official are the opportunities that my positions have afforded me to spearhead projects and ideas that positively impact the lives of others,” Hudson emphasized. “My experiences in bringing project ideas to fruition have been tremendously fulfilling.”
She outlined that she is most proud of a handful of community-centric projects, highlighting her passion for making a tangible difference in the everyday lives of hard-working Alabamians.
This included two senior center projects that were spearheaded by Hudson’s office in order to provide increased access to recreational amenities for senior citizens in west Mobile County.
Then there is the Mobile County Soccer Complex project, which will be developed in phases and eventually include ten tournament quality lighted soccer fields, as well as a championship field with bleachers, irrigation, restroom/concession facilities, entrance road improvements, landscaping and parking.
Hudson added, “I am also very proud of the Mobile County Recycling Center which my office spearheaded and that has more than doubled the annual volume of recyclables collected in Mobile County since it began operating.”
While her time as an elected official has already produced a lasting legacy of achievement for the benefit of present and future generations, Hudson touched so many lives long before she ever swore her first oath of office.
A graduate of Troy University, Hudson is a passionate education advocate. She served in numerous volunteer positions to advance this advocacy, including president of the Mobile County Council of PTA’s, board member of the Alabama PTA, board member for the Mobile Area Education Foundation, chairwoman of Citizens for Better Education and E. R. Dickson Elementary School PTA president. Hudson is an honorary life member of the Alabama PTA and has raised thousands of dollars through grant writing to supplement learning resources and arts education for the Mobile County Public School System.
Hudson is especially proud of her volunteer work to improve public education in Mobile County through county level and school-based PTA’s and her work with Citizens For Better Education, the county-wide educational advocacy group which she co-founded.
Her list of civic involvement would take up its own chapter in a book, including serving as a former or current board member of the Mobile Arts Council, America’s Junior Miss, Providence Hospital, Providence Health System, Business Innovation Center, Alabama State Port Authority and Mobile County Health Department. Hudson is also an Academy of Real Estate graduate who received licensure by the Alabama Real Estate Commission.
While her list of achievements has grown long, it was not an especially easy path to getting here for Hudson.
But, through hard work and determination, she is now an example for girls across the state who may aspire to run for office one day.
“During my initial election campaigns, I was challenged to work extra hard to earn trust and confidence and to prove my credentials as being qualified to be elected to the office,” Hudson said, speaking to the unique challenge of being a woman in a traditionally male arena. “I believe that challenge was mitigated when citizens came to understand my leadership style, my accessibility, my results-oriented attention to details, and developed an understanding and trust that my top priority was improving the lives of citizens throughout our community.”
While it has not always been easy, she stressed that serving the public is well worth the extra work.
“My advice to all girls aspiring to be an elected official one day is stay sharply focused on your plans and objectives regardless of the obstacles that you encounter along the way. I have found persistence to be, by far, the most important trait in getting goals accomplished,” Hudson concluded. “Never give up!”
Yellowhammer Multimedia is proud to name Commissioner Connie Hudson a 2019 Woman of Impact.
The 2nd Annual Women of Impact Awards will celebrate the honorees on April 29, 2019, in Birmingham. Event details can be found here.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
