Jean Cecil Hudak named Columbia Chamber CEO

Jean Cecil Hudak has been named president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber, beginning her service late September. She succeeds Carl Blackstone, who served in the role since 2014.

Hudak comes to the Columbia Chamber after more than eight years at strategic communications firm NP Strategy, most recently as chief operating officer. Prior to that, she was CEO of Beam and Hinge, a website development firm, according to a news release. She also worked for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce as director of governmental affairs and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce as multimedia manager.

“I am honored to be chosen for this vital position,” Hudak said in the release. “The chamber has been a big part of my life for more than a decade, and I look forward to serving our Partners and our region’s business community.”

She began her career as a legislative correspondent for U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint before moving to the legislative affairs offices of Vice President Dick Cheney and President George W. Bush, the release said.

For the past nine years, Hudak had been a member of the Columbia Chamber Board of Directors. She was a member of the board’s executive committee and served as the board chair in 2021-2022 and public policy committee chair from 2017 to 2019.

Hudak is a graduate of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative and Leadership South Carolina. She currently serves as a board member for Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands.

“The chamber is excited to welcome Jean Cecil into this new role,” Terrance Ford, Columbia Chamber Board of Directors chair, said in the release. “She brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep understanding of our business community, having served on the chamber board and in state and federal government. Her knowledge, relationships and commitment to Columbia make her exceptionally well-positioned to lead the chamber into its next chapter.”

A Spartanburg native, Hudak is a graduate of Wofford College. She and her husband, Todd, live in Columbia.