About Us

The History

Founded in 1986, The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara is recognized worldwide as a premier leadership and coaching training institution.  The Hudson Institute (HI) provides opportunities for professionals to learn how to renew and reinvent themselves and the environments in which they live and work. Through leadership and coach training, executive coaching services, and team and individual renewal seminars, HI has worked with thousands of leaders and organizations around the world, preparing our clients for transformative roles within their lives and organizations.

The Hudson Institute was founded by Frederic Hudson, PhD, as he was leaving his post as Founding President of The Fielding Graduate University.  A Danforth and Rockefeller Fellow, Hudson’s long history of innovation and invention led him to innovating models for new kinds of experiential adult learning extending beyond academics into the work of developing leaders by utilizing a developmental and experiential learning approach. 

Hudson was joined by professional colleague and partner, Pamela McLean, PhD, in the early years of the organization.  McLean brought her background in clinical psychology and systems work along with her work and research in adult development to the organization.

On the forefront of the emerging field of coaching Hudson wrote one of the earliest books, The Handbook of Coaching, and launched one of the earliest coach certification programs in the U.S. Today, The Hudson Institute is a highly respected training ground for leaders and professionals who want to develop a coaching mindset that ultimately creates a paradigm shift in their approach to leadership.  

Over the past twenty years, thousands of participants have attended our original building block, the LifeLaunch™ program, which results in life/career plans for the next chapter led by one's purpose and passion.