Names in the News: Teresa Osborn

Name: Teresa Osborn

Title/Position/Occupation: Executive Director of the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth

Sphere of Influence: Statewide (Georgia)

Education/Background: Bachelor of arts, University of Georgia in English and political science; PhD. Program, Vanderbilt University in political science.

After graduate school, I worked in sales for five years, and then I had an epiphany, much like a calling, that I wanted to “do good” and work in the nonprofit sector. I started talking to people and getting advice, and in 1990 I was hired as executive director for the startup Georgia Chapter of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). I was a staff of one for three years, and in 1993 the chapter became a regional office of NOF.

I worked for NOF in these capacities for 10 years and loved every minute of it. However, I made a career shift, virtually overnight, when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2000. For eight years I did consulting in Gwinnett County so that I could give her the care and attention she needed.

During that time, I started going to The Hudgens for different activities. Over the course of the next few years, I went from being a visitor to a member, to a volunteer, to the president of the Arts League, and to board member. I stepped in as a consultant in 2007, became the interim executive director in 2008 and the executive director in 2009.

Accomplishments/Accolades: Arts Leader of the Year 2012 and ArtWorks! Gwinnett Vision Award; 2012 Pinnacle Award from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Projects/Goals: It is a privilege to work for the Hudgens Center for the Arts.  Our mission is bringing art lovers, leaders and learners together. We do that through Visual Arts Initiatives at The Hudgens, which include exhibits, classes, camps, programs, the Children’s Art Zone and gift shop. Our Community Arts Initiatives brings art to the underserved. We take artists to sixth grade math classes and show how art is related.

Our smART program allows selected students from three high schools to attend art classes on scholarship. We are launching a project with the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter in June, and an artist will go to them each week. Each resident of Rainbow Village now gets a free family membership at The Hudgens. We are developing the Art of Healing, which links art to health, and we will focus first on cancer patients and their caregivers.

Though all that we do, we are enriching the lives of so many individuals and families and absolutely strengthening the community by being a key cultural resource and an important component in economic development.

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: Spending time with family, cooking and reading.

Civic/Church Involvement: ArtWorks Gwinnett Board of Doers, CEO Roundtable, Georgia Arts Network vice president, Girl Scout leader for 13 years, Boy Scout leader for 10 years. Active member of McKendree Methodist Church.

Family: Husband, Jim; children, Michael (a senior at Georgia College) and Catherine (joint enrollment Collins Hill HS/Georgia Gwinnett College).

Something hardly anyone knows about you: I love live concerts. Some of the most memorable ones were Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, the Police, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, The Eagles, Carol King, and James Taylor. The Paul McCartney concert at Piedmont Park a few years ago was special. In 1976 my father took me to the Omni to see McCartey, and in 2009 I was able to take my children!