Hudson River Museum Appoints Laura Owens to Assistant Director, Development
YONKERS, NY, October 7, 2025—The Hudson River Museum is pleased to welcome Laura Owens as our new Assistant Director, Development. Owens brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, development strategy, and cross-functional program design.
At the HRM, Laura will lead the Development team, raising key philanthropic support across foundation, corporate, and individual donor portfolios. She will oversee annual fundraising, strategic grants and partnerships, special events, and planned giving. She will also implement a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy, oversee major gift initiatives including the Fund for HRM, and enhance membership engagement.
Laura served in various roles at the National “I Have A Dream” Foundation, where she served as Interim Executive Director, Director of Human Capital and Special Projects, and Chief of Staff. She has also held roles at New York City Department of Education and she founded L Owens Consulting, providing program design, strategy, and operational support to for-profit and nonprofit clients. Owens received her BA from Loyola University Maryland and a Master of Public Administration from NYU.
“We are delighted to have Laura Owens join our leadership team,” said Director and CEO Masha Turchinsky. “Her proven track record of building strategic development plans and aligning them with real mission impact makes her a strong match for our vision and goals, and her knowledge of the community will be invaluable as we continue to advance HRM’s continued growth, partnerships, and sustainability.”
Laura Owens stated, “I’m excited to join the Hudson River Museum, a team committed not only to art, science, and history, but also to accessibility, community, and creativity. I look forward to making an impact in my own backyard, bringing people together, and helping build on the Museum’s remarkable successes.”
Laura and her family are local Westchester residents and they have enjoyed many visits to HRM—from planetarium shows to school break activities and community dance performances. She serves on the Hastings-on-Hudson Education Foundation.
Press contacts:
Jeana Wunderlich
jwunderlich@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x240
Samantha Hoover
shoover@hrm.org
(914) 963-4550 x216
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The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. The Museum is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, with a mission to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.
The HRM offers engaging experiences for every age and interest, with an ever-evolving collection of American art and dynamic exhibitions that range from nineteenth-century paintings to contemporary art installations. The campus, which recently expanded to include a West Wing with exhibition galleries and sweeping views of the Hudson River, features Glenview, an 1877 house on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art planetarium; an environmental teaching gallery; and an outdoor amphitheater. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting its multidisciplinary offerings, which are complemented by an array of public programs that encourage creative expression, collaboration, and artistic and scientific discovery. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), an honor awarded to only 3% of museums nationwide.
Museum Hours: The Hudson River Museum is open to the public Wednesday–Friday, from 12–5pm, and Saturday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. On Free First Fridays, the Museum is open and free of charge on the first Friday of the month, from 5–8pm. The Museum is accessible by Metro-North (Hudson Line—Yonkers and Glenview stations), by Bee-Line Bus Route #1, by car, and by bike.
General Admission: Adults $15; Youth (3–18) $8; Seniors (65+) $9; Students (with valid ID) $9; Veterans $9; Children (under 3) FREE; Members FREE; Museums for All* $2, *SNAP/EBT card with photo ID (up to 4 people). Planetarium Tickets: Adults $8; Youth (3–18) $6; Seniors (65+) $7; Students (with valid ID) $7; Veterans $7; Children (under 3) Free. Glenview Tours: Adults $8; Youth (3–18) $6; Seniors (65+) $7; Students (with valid ID) $7; Veterans $7; Children (under 3) Free.
