Dr. Ann Hudock is the president and chief executive officer of Counterpart International, where she leads work that strengthens local economies and institutions, improves access to essential services, and supports women and community leaders to turn ideas into lasting opportunity.

Ann has spent her career working alongside local leaders, organizations, and governments to support practical solutions in areas such as food security, education, health, women’s leadership, and entrepreneurship—often at the intersection of community action and public policy. She began her career in Sierra Leone, supporting small farmers and women’s cooperatives, an experience that shaped her belief that progress lasts when it is built with communities and led locally.

Ann has held leadership roles across the nonprofit, government, and private sectors, helping organizations work more effectively with partners and communities. Earlier in her career, she served at the United States Department of State working for the Under Secretary of Global Affairs as the special assistant for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. For her role in strengthening relations between the United States and Vietnam, she received two medals from the Government of Vietnam. She has also been named a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Dayton.

Today, Ann serves on the Millennium Challenge Corporation advisory council and the steering committee of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, and she chairs the advisory committee of the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton. She has also served in leadership roles with organizations advancing global development and women’s leadership.

Ann is the author of NGOs and Civil Society Development: Democracy by Proxy? published by Polity Press in English, Chinese and Japanese, which explores how citizen-led organizations contribute to stronger and more accountable societies.

Ph.D., Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK
M.A., International Affairs (summa cum laude), University of Dayton, Ohio
B.A., English with minors in French and Communication (cum laude), University of Dayton, Ohio

“The challenges communities face today are more complex and interconnected than ever. Real progress comes when people have a voice, institutions are accountable, and leaders across sectors work together—bringing people, institutions, and ideas together around shared challenges and focusing on solutions that work in practice, not just on paper.”