Kendra Ekelund to Step Down as Hudson Valley Shakespeare Managing Director
Ekelund will remain with HVS through the transition period, working along Artistic Director Davis McCallum, Board, and staff to advance HVS's institutional priorities.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Managing Director Kendra Ekelund will step down in Spring 2027, as she and her family relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina to be closer to extended family.
Ekelund will remain with HVS through the transition period, working alongside Artistic Director Davis McCallum, Board, and staff to advance HVS's institutional priorities, including the completion of Artist Lodging, stewarding the organization's expanded campus and hospitality operations, and building on the artistic and audience momentum of the inaugural season.
The HVS Board has formed a committee to oversee the search for HVS's next Managing Director. Additional information about the search process and timeline will be announced in the coming months.
Ekelund joined HVS in 2022 at a pivotal moment in the organization's history. During her tenure, HVS evolved from a celebrated seasonal theater company into a permanent cultural institution encompassing a 98-acre campus, the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, The Garrison, Folio restaurant, the Inn, and Artist Lodging, which is currently under construction.
As Managing Director at HVS Ekelund helped shepherd the ROOTED Campaign and translate HVS's vision for a permanent home into a reality. She provided executive oversight through the construction and opening of the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center and the stewardship of a substantial portfolio of public and private funding. Her tenure culminated in the inaugural 2026 season at the Scripps Theater Center, featuring King Lear, As You Like It, and Les Misérables. The record-setting season saw unprecedented demand, welcomed more than 35,000 audience members, and established the new campus as a major cultural destination for the Hudson Valley.
“Kendra arrived at a moment when HVS was preparing to undertake the most ambitious transformation in its history,” said Board President Pepper Evans. “Her combination of strategic leadership, financial discipline, operational skill, and deep care for people has been essential to making that transformation real. We are profoundly grateful that she will remain with us through a thoughtful transition and help position HVS and its next Managing Director for success.”
“Kendra has been an extraordinary partner through a period of exhilarating growth,” said Artistic Director Davis McCallum. “She has helped HVS navigate construction, organizational expansion, and the opening of our new theater, all with an unwavering focus on our mission: to create exceptional theater and build meaningful community. She's a great leader, a wonderful person, and in the Scripps Center, she leaves a lasting legacy on the arts landscape of the Hudson Valley.”
“Helping Hudson Valley Shakespeare take root in its permanent home has been one of the great privileges of my career,” Ekelund said. “I'm incredibly proud of what we've built together, which goes far beyond the theater itself. HVS is stronger, more ambitious, and reaching more people than ever before because of the extraordinary commitment of our staff, artists, Board, donors, partners, and audiences. I'm especially grateful to Davis for the trust and partnership we've shared throughout this chapter. My family's decision to relocate is a deeply personal one, and I plan to give HVS the time and attention needed for a strong and generous transition while continuing to build on the extraordinary momentum of our inaugural season.”
Following her relocation to Charlotte, Ekelund plans to take on a select portfolio of consulting and creative projects. Her future work will draw on more than two decades of experience in arts administration, organizational transformation, capital development, live theater producing, artist support, and visitor experience.
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