Bridget Hughes, M.A.
Chief Program Officer
Bridget leads the development, implementation and evaluation of HMI’s programs for LGBTQIA+ young people and their families, as well as outreach and education initiatives, and strategic partnerships, including HMI’s partnership with Harvey Milk High School and the NYC Dept. of Education.
Since joining HMI in 2012, Bridget has successfully overseen the expansion of HMI services to six days per week; spearheaded new program partnerships with CUNY’s Office of K-16 Initiatives (College Bridge for All), the NYC Department of Education Pathways to Graduation Program, CenterLink’s Q Chat Space program, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health; and supervised the implementation of the ongoing evaluation of HMI’s comprehensive service model and HMI’s bereavement support intervention for LGBTQ+ youth. In 2019, Bridget was named Outstanding Community Advocate by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services’ Office of LGBTQ Equity Strategies. Bridget was also recognized as an LGBTQ+ Power Player by PoliticsNY, Gay City News, and amNY Metro in both 2023 and 2024.
Her work with LGBTQIA+ youth spans more than 30 years, and includes the development and direction of the Youth Enrichment Services program of the LGBT Community Center (1989-2007), acting as the sole consultant responsible for the implementation of the annual Bias Audit for the NYC Department of Education, tracking incidents of student-on-student harassment and violence in support of the New York State Dignity for All Students Act (2009-2012), and leading LGBT inclusion efforts for the Counseling Center at Lehman College (2008-2010). In 2007, Bridget received a PASEsetter Award for outstanding contributions to the field of after school education.
Bridget is co-author of the “Working It Out” intervention curriculum, a cognitive-behavioral HIV prevention intervention targeting lesbian, gay and bisexual youth, developed under the auspices of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University and Dr. Joyce Hunter. She has provided professional development training for a variety of organizations including the NYC Dept of Education, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Good Shepherd Services, Partnership for After School Education (PASE) and Covenant House Training Institute, to name a few.
Bridget attended Mount Saint Mary’s University and Oxford University as an undergraduate, and holds a Master’s Degree in English from Rutgers University. In 2007, she completed a year of study at Columbia University as a fellow in the Charles H. Revson Fellowship, a program sponsored by the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, designed for the development of mid-career urban leaders who have made a substantial contribution to New York City.