Laura Washington assumed the role of President and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley (CFHV) in February 2024. Leveraging her expertise in strategic planning, partnership building, and communications, she is dedicated to amplifying CFHV’s impact across Ulster, Dutchess, and Putnam counties by fostering connections between caring donors and impactful nonprofits.
Previously, Laura served as Chief Communications Officer and Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the New-York Historical Society and established the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s inaugural communications function.
A native New Yorker with deep ties to the Hudson Valley, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Vassar College and a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. She serves on the board of Historic Huguenot Street and chairs its Education and Programming Committee. Laura also serves on the New York Regional Selection Committee for the Marshall Scholarship and as a review panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
