Women in Business: Tiffany Hudson

Residence: Springdale

Education: B.A., English, Georgia Southern University; M.A., public policy, American University

Professional background: At the start of 2020, Fayetteville nonprofit Partners for Better Housing hired Hudson as its executive director. She has 20 years of experience in residential building and land development and spent the past few years focused on mixed-use, mixed-income infill communities.

What was your dream job as a kid and why? At 5 years old, I wanted to be a florist. I’ve always loved flowers and creativity.

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments or wins in your current job? Gaining the confidence and support of the Walton Family Foundation to invest in the innovative housing strategies we’re pursuing at Partners for Better Housing.

What’s your biggest passion and why? Without doubt, it’s housing — the whole spectrum from providing emergency shelter to rental options to homeownership. I built a 40-bed homeless shelter in Georgia. It was an accomplishment for which I am immensely proud, and I still serve on its board. I spent many years as a single-family production builder, but working on mixed-income, mixed-use communities in Atlanta really renewed my passion. Abundant, attainable housing, smart growth, and especially mixed-income development is just vital to a thriving and equitable community.

What advice would you give young women who are currently at the beginning of their careers? Be bold. Allow yourself the grace to be a little bit afraid, then push through it — go, do, create without fear.

What is a leader’s best asset? Authenticity. Confidence in yourself and your convictions puts others at ease. Living a life of integrity and empowering your words with actions inspires and influences everyone around you.

Can you recommend a book that has had an influence on your career? How did it influence you? More than any particular book, Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise” has inspired me, given me solace and confidence, and taught me humility. The ability to cope with adversity yet not be defeated and to remain resilient has been a through-line in my life and my career.

What’s the best way to encourage productive collaboration? Exceptional communication skills in which you can actively listen to others, determine their needs and share abundantly without reservation. Working in a silo, or staying in your own lane, is anathema to achieving productive outcomes for collaborative efforts.

How do you spend your time away from work? What are your hobbies? Puttering in my flower beds, playing with my dogs, and cooking occasionally for friends and family.

What is something distinctive people would be surprised to know about you? I have a private helicopter pilot’s license.

Can you share what you have learned about your business from the COVID-19 pandemic? I’ve learned that my committed belief — that housing is core to our society — is bedrock truth. The pandemic reinforced how interconnected we are, regardless of income, and aimed a harsh spotlight on how sub-par housing and limited choices can affect our collective health. Viewing affordable, abundant housing as infrastructure can be a huge opportunity for Northwest Arkansas. Bold, innovative action now is necessary to our economic development and our ability to maintain our quality of life as our population doubles in size.

What’s your favorite app at the moment? Landglide — property and tax parcel information.

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? A month-long tour of Italy, a year-long trip around the Great Loop, and an epic sailing adventure across the Caribbean. My bucket list is always about traveling to new places.

What’s the next big personal or career challenge you plan to take on? Helping Partners for Better Housing reach its full potential by completing our Willow Bend community is my current mission — proving the shared equity model as a case study in Fayetteville and then pursuing opportunities to scale up the program into other locations within our region.