Barry Hudson will soon be the new chief spokesman for Montgomery County.
Hudson, 57, was confirmed Tuesday by the Montgomery County Council as the latest of County Executive Marc Elrich’s cabinet appointees.
The county’s public information director is responsible for fielding questions from the media, coordinating the county’s social media and internet marketing strategies across different departments and helping facilitate the county’s cable TV show production. The Office of Public Information has a staff of 16 and a budget of $5.4 million.
From 2011 until last year, Hudson was a senior policy adviser and director of communications for former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker.
Hudson graduated from Howard University with a degree in journalism/public relations, and has served in a number of private sector marketing positions since 1986, according to his resume.
Hudson runs a firm called BL Hudson Strategic Communications. Hudson wrote in an email that he will not operate the business when he begins the new position, but it will remain an incorporated entity.
Ohene Gyapong, the county’s acting public information director, said Hudson is permitted to operate a private business on the side, but he would need to first get approval from the county’s Ethics Commission.
With Hudson’s appointment, Elrich has 11 top-level cabinet vacancies to fill. His nominee for director of technology services, Vennard Wright, withdrew his name from consideration Monday after being questioned over his plans to leave his job with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
Hudson will make a base salary of $175,000, and is tentatively scheduled to begin May 27, according to county spokesman Neil Greenberger.
Gyapong, currently the acting public information officer, will remain with the county as deputy public information officer.
Dan Schere can be reached at Daniel.schere@moco360.media
