City of Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson was recognized yesterday with the Indian River State College Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is presented annually to an outstanding graduate who has achieved a high level of success in his or her chosen career and is an exemplary role model for students. The honor was conferred during the College Awards Ceremony, where Hudson served as the event’s featured speaker.
“IRSC alumni are actively involved with both their communities and their professions, setting higher standards, improving relationships, and bringing about change for future generations,” said Dr. Edwin R. Massey, IRSC President. “No one embodies this spirit more so than Mayor Linda Hudson, and we are pleased to present her with this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award.”
A native of Fort Pierce, Mayor Hudson graduated from Indian River Junior College in 1964 with an Associate of Arts degree. She furthered her education at the University of Florida, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History. Hudson then pursued a career in association management in Chicago, Illinois, and after marking a 25-year career, retired in 1994 as a vice president with the Illinois State Medical Society.
Hudson then returned to her hometown of Fort Pierce where she became active in several civic and cultural organizations. In 2012 she was elected Mayor of the City of Fort Pierce—the first female elected to that office—and ran unopposed for reelection in 2016. She currently serves as President of the Treasure Coast Regional League of Cities and is past Chair of the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments. She earned the Florida League of Cities Home Rule Hero Award in 2015 and again in 2017 for her advocacy efforts with the state legislature. Mayor Hudson is active in community service and, among other commitments, serves as Vice Chair of the St. Lucie County Executive Roundtable, an organization that seeks to build a community where every child succeeds.
In her address to students, Mayor Hudson reflected on the journey that brought her back to Florida and the importance of service to others. “Education never stops,” says Hudson. “If you’re open to it, you can learn something from every person you meet, every job you perform, and every experience. Lifetime learning comes from the conviction that you don’t know everything, and from an attitude that learning from every situation is your job.”