Kendra Ekelund

Kendra Ekelund has served as Managing Director of Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) since 2022. Her fourth season included the company’s 2026 inaugural season in the newly opened Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, culminating a period of extraordinary institutional transformation. During her tenure, HVS has evolved from a celebrated seasonal festival into a regional cultural anchor with a permanent campus and an expanded business and operating footprint.

In close partnership with Artistic Director Davis McCallum, Kendra helped shape a once-in-a-generation opportunity into a clear, achievable vision for HVS’s future and led the organizational work needed to bring it to life. She has helped lead the ROOTED capital campaign and the development of HVS’s permanent campus in Garrison, including the opening of the Studio Gang-designed Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center in 2026. She also led the integration of The Garrison, Folio restaurant, and the Inn into HVS’s operating structure and is advancing the development of on-site Artist Lodging and the growth of institutional reserves designed to support the company’s long-term sustainability.

Throughout this period of growth, Kendra has focused on building the organizational, financial, operational, and human infrastructure necessary for HVS to thrive in its permanent home while preserving the sense of community and artistic quality that has long defined the company. Central to that work is nurturing an organizational culture in which artists are supported to do their best work.

Prior to joining HVS, Kendra served as General Manager of the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York, and previously worked in casting and talent management for New York theater, film, and television. She holds a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University and a certificate in Arts Management from Purchase College, SUNY.