Robert J Hudek, President
Hudek and Associates
bhudek@gmail.com       
414-531-0644 (cell)
www.bobhudek.org

Areas of Expertise

• Provided overall strategic direction for statewide, regional, and national coalitions and issue campaigns.
• Conducted over 20 strategic planning processes for the Boards and staff of various unions, trade associations, community and environmental organizations.
• Exceptionally skillful facilitator.

Executive coaching

• Created new organizational and leadership assessment tools for social change organizations and leaders.
• Management and strategy consultant to senior staff of state and national organizations.  Extensive experience as an executive director of non-profit organizations.  
• Expert manager of staff, budgets, programs, and operations.
• Effective and wide-ranging board development experience.

Training and Leadership Development

• Built national training institute for emerging national advocacy organization
• Skills training on grassroots lobbying; framing and message; fundraising, relational organization and relationship building; and political action for membership organizations and campaigns.

State and National Advocacy  

• Deep and wide experience with strategy and tactics of legislative campaigns; grassroots organizing and mobilization; earned media; coalition organizing; and political action.
• Expert in campaigns designed to increase organizational capacity.

Fundraising and Development

• Created comprehensive fundraising plans for 4 organizations.
• National fundraising chair for grassroots political organization.
• Fundraising consultant and trainer for state level advocacy organizations.
• Board chair for national canvassing organization.

Coalition Organizing

• Built and sustained successful, permanent multi-issue, multi-constituency coalition organizations that are nationally recognized models.
• Expert understanding of organizing principals and strategies for a wide range of organizations, including community organizing, the labor movement; issue organizations; and political campaigns.

Campaigns and Elections

• Developed and managed extensive 501(C)4 and political action plans for statewide elections and for more than 40 legislative races.
• Ran campaign planning sessions for federal, state, and local candidates. 
• Created and managed large scale 501 (C) 3 voter registration and GOTV.

Experience

Executive Director, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., 1994 - 2007
Responsible for overall strategic direction, Board development, fundraising, budget, staff supervision, issue campaign development, political, canvassing, and training programs for statewide progressive coalition. Annual budget of $2.8 million.

Chief strategist successful grassroots campaigns
Victories include Mining Moratorium Bill (new environmental standards); Senior Care (prescription drug program); and municipal lead paint ordinances. Campaigns integrated electoral, coalition, message, leadership development and community organizing elements.

Labor Coalition Organizer
Built and staffed innovative labor electoral coalition in South Central Wisconsin, and created and implemented four stage political training program for Wisconsin AFL-CIO (Co-Executive Director 1994-2004, Executive Director 2005- May, 2007)

Executive Director, Coalition for Consumer Rights, Chicago IL, 1987-1994
Designed public education, public relations and lobbying programs around civil justice, health care, environmental and workplace safety issues. Created and directed new in-kind political program for Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, providing unique range of services to over 100 state legislative and judicial campaigns. Provided training for staff and candidates; campaign plans; staff hires and supervision; polling; and strategy and management of voter contact and Election Day programs. Conducted training workshops on grassroots lobbying, public speaking and media relations for 16 state trial lawyer associations.

Field Director, Citizen Action, Chicago, IL, 1982 - 1987
Directed staff of ten national field organizers to create and manage new progressive statewide coalitions. Oversaw expansion of Citizen Action from five organizations in 1980 to 26 organizations in 1986. Other responsibilities included directing the staff of the national toxics campaign, staffing the national Board, strategic planning, national staff recruitment, membership development, fundraising and electoral programs.

Regional and Field Director, Citizen/Labor Energy Coalition, Chicago, IL 1978 -1981
Supervised staff of 12. Directed successful two year national campaign to prevent the decontrol of natural gas including organizing national protest day which coordinated demonstrations in 100 cities involving more than 100,000 people. Built five state coalitions around energy issues and organized two regional conference with over 1200 leaders from labor, community organizations. religious, and senior citizen organizations.

Regional Director, Sun Day, Washington D.C., 1978
Coordinated public education events and demonstrations in eight state region in support of renewable energy policies,

Associate Director, DuPage Citizens Organization, Elmhurst, IL, 1975 - 1976
Built county coalition of churches, teachers, and community groups as part of the Industrial Areas Foundation community organizing network. Youngest professional organizer in IAF.

Research Director, National Consumers Congress, Washington D.C., 1974-1975.
Directed research projects and lobbied for Ralph Nader affiliated consumer group.

Director, Walk for Development, Cedar Rapids, IA, 1972
Volunteer director of "Hunger Hike" which involved 1500 hikers and raised over $25,000 for self-help development projects.

Volunteer and leadership positions

Board Chair, Progressive Action Network, 1997-2007
Board President, Midwest State Center, 1998-2000
National executive committee, fundraising chair, USAction, 2001-2007