Taft partner Marcia Fudge will be honored by the National Urban League as a recipient of the President’s Award, the highest honor the organization bestows, at the 2025 National Urban League Conference on July 18, 2025. Fudge will be recognized for her impactful contributions as a lifelong public servant, extraordinary efforts toward creating lasting societal change, and visionary leadership in housing, urban development, and civic engagement.

The President’s Award acknowledges individuals whose exceptional leadership has significantly advanced marginalized communities. Past recipients include esteemed leaders such as Angela Bassett, Stevie Wonder, Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon, Ben Crump, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr., Alfre Woodard, and others, all of whom have driven remarkable progress in bridging the equality gap.

The National Urban League is the nation’s largest and most influential civil rights and advocacy organization, with over ninety affiliates serving three hundred communities, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than three million people nationwide. For more information on the conference, which will be in Cleveland, visit here.

Fudge is a partner in Taft’s Public Affairs Strategies Group and serves as firmwide Chair of Public Policy. She brings more than five decades of experience working with lawmakers, elected officials, key staff, and coalitions at the local, state, and federal levels. From 2021 to 2024, she served as the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During her tenure, Fudge led initiatives to increase housing supply, eradicate the growing homelessness issue, end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure compliance with fair housing rules.