– Marc Hudson, North Florida Land Trust’s director of strategic conservation, has been named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 2020 Class of 40 Under 40. The Jacksonville Business Journal said this year’s nominees were picked from a record number of nominees and were chosen for their business success, leadership skills and their high level of community involvement. Hudson was nominated for the award by NFLT President Jim McCarthy.
“Marc has been instrumental in leading conservation efforts and helping to achieve a milestone of preserving more than 20,000 acres of land in our 20 years in operation,” said McCarthy. “He is a true asset and a true champion of conservation. Marc had been here for two years before I came on board and I have witnessed his extraordinary growth over the last six years. He has really become a leading expert in our industry and is truly deserving of this honor.”
Hudson joined NFLT in May of 2012 as the land protection director and was recently named the director of strategic conservation. The change in his title came as the nonprofit restructured to keep up with growing preservation demands. As the director of strategic conservation, Hudson is in charge of developing the nonprofit land conservation organization’s landscape initiatives in multiple counties and watersheds. He is creating new financial tools and business relationships to support NFLT’s mission and is assisting communities as a partner in the creation of their conservation plans.
Hudson has numerous accomplishments over the last eight years that have made him a leader in the conservation industry. His efforts to protect more than 5,000 acres around Camp Blanding have helped make NFLT leaders in the industry in protecting military installations. He spent five years working with landowners in Putnam County to identify funding for a conservation easement on more than 3,500 acres on Wetland Preserve. Hudson also helped develop NFLT’s Preservation Portfolio which identified more than 112,000 acres of land in North Florida that is valuable for conservation. His strategic conservation planning was recognized by the Land Trust Alliance, the lead organization and resource for land trusts across the nation.
Hudson was recently named vice-chair of the North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. He was an inaugural member of ULI North Florida’s Center for Leadership and a founding board member of Groundwork Jacksonville. He was also a 2016 Kinship Conservation Fellow and a 2017 featured speaker for TEDxJacksonville. Hudson earned his Bachelor’s degree in history with a special focus on environmental history from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Hudson will be presented with the award at the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards ceremony which was set for May 14 but is currently being rescheduled for the fall.
