Fresh Energy’s Organizational Health team works behind the scenes to ensure our staff is supported and has the tools they need to rapidly transition Minnesota to be carbon-free. We’re thrilled to welcome Kate Hudak as our senior associate, human resources to Fresh Energy’s Organizational Health team.
With 15 years of HR experience in the nonprofit sector and a deep commitment to mission-driven organizations, Kate brings exactly the kind of thoughtful, people-centered approach that helps Fresh Energy grow and succeed.
I sat down with Kate to learn more about her journey to Fresh Energy, what drew her to our work in addressing climate change, and what she loves to do when she’s not supporting our staff.
Tell me about your background and how you ended up at Fresh Energy.
I’m originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but I discovered Minnesota on a post-college road trip and fell in love with this beautiful state. I moved to Minneapolis a few months later, and it’s been home ever since. I live here with my son, Silas, who’s a senior in high school, in a home I’ve been fixing up for 10 years. My partner, Michael, lives in Bozeman where he is a professor at Montana State.
My career has been dedicated to the nonprofit sector. I started as a social worker working in group homes with teens — specifically boys coming out of the juvenile justice system who didn’t have a home to return to. It was meaningful work to help them find their footing and to support them as they navigated the transition back into the community, but after about 10 years, I needed a shift. I moved into administrative roles, which felt like a natural evolution because I’d always been passionate about making sure the voices of all staff were heard by leadership.
I worked in HR at a few organizations, but the pull of direct practice was still there, so I went back to graduate school and earned my Master of Social Work. After graduation, I had a brief stint at Abbott Northwestern as a medical social worker. After having my son, I found that social work was too emotionally demanding for me to balance with parenting, so I returned to HR.
For the last 15 years I have been the HR Director at Washburn Center for Children. The organization grew from 90 to 300 employees during my time there — it was exciting and challenging and deeply inspiring work. I loved the mission especially the strong emphasis on access and making sure kids who wouldn’t normally have access to mental health care could get it. I didn’t imagine I would stay in one position for such a long time, but serving the community there was such an amazing gift. I took a year off after my time at Washburn Center to be with family and took some time to think about my next position and that’s when I discovered Fresh Energy.
How did you learn about Fresh Energy, and what drew you to working here?
I was very drawn to Fresh Energy’s equity work; I haven’t seen a lot of climate organizations focus on equity and climate justice the way Fresh Energy does. When I was looking for my next role, I was interested in two areas that matter most to me: health care and the environment. I was applying for jobs in both sectors, but when I did a deep dive into Fresh Energy’s website, I found so much thoughtful work.
What really resonated with me was the framework around how climate change hits first, fastest, and longest for certain communities. That’s really about taking care of families and making sure everyone has access to good health — which connects directly to the work I’ve done my whole career.
I also appreciated the hopefulness in how people at Fresh Energy talk about clean energy and Fresh Energy’s mission. There’s this narrative out there that individual actions don’t matter, that it’s all about corporations and big systems, so you can’t do anything to impact change. But Fresh Energy feels more hopeful. Yes, there’s so much policy work to do, but that also ties directly to the individual actions we can do, too.
I don’t have any illusions that there aren’t days of despair in this work, but people here show up and stay resilient. That reminds me of the trauma-informed care work at Washburn — our therapists heard difficult stories about kids every day, and they had to stay hopeful. Supporting staff through that kind of emotionally demanding work is something I know how to do and really care about.
What is your role at Fresh Energy, and what are you looking forward to?
Right now, I’m working on a lot of benefits-related projects. Minnesota’s new paid leave policy is a huge undertaking, and I’m managing that alongside open enrollment. But I’m also spending time getting to know people and understanding more about the organization and culture.
Looking ahead to next year, I want to streamline things so people can easily access the information they need on the HR side. I’m also really excited about enhancing professional development opportunities, continuing conversations around pay transparency, and partnering with Janiece on DEI initiatives.
If someone asked me what my goal is for the first six months, it’s building relationships. From my experience, relationships are core to leading HR effectively. I want to take the time to understand what’s needed and how things work before trying to change something that might already be working brilliantly. I always joke that HR should be invisible until folks need it — and then it’s there and ready to support.
One thing that I like about Fresh Energy specifically is the size. At my last organization, we grew so much that I didn’t know everyone anymore. I was looking for a smaller organization where I could really know people and build those relationships.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I’m the seventh of ten kids, so I have a big, connected family with 23 nieces and nephews! I’ve very close with my siblings, and keeping up with everyone is a big priority in my life. We’re spread all over the country, but we stay connected and it’s quite fun and sometimes a bit wild.
I need a lot of time by myself to recharge. If I could walk three hours a day, I’d be so happy. I’m also working on my house as much as I can, though some projects I definitely have to hire out.
Even though I like time alone, community matters to me. I just volunteered on election day, and that was invigorating and fun. And of course I love spending as much time as I can with my Silas, Michael and my family.
My favorite place in the world is Burntside Lake in Ely. There’s a YMCA camp about 45 minutes north where you can rent rustic cabins — some don’t have running water or electricity — and they’re right on the water. You’re listening to loons, there are no motorboats, and it’s just peaceful. If I could go up there four times a year to rejuvenate, I’d be ecstatic. I’m a bit obsessed with loons, the loon calls across the lake are magical.
Thanks, Kate! We’re so glad to have you on the team and look forward to the support, thoughtfulness, and people-centered approach you’ll bring to our nonprofit.
