Grant Dudley
ALUMNUS FINDS THE RIGHT CAREER PATH AT HGTV
When alumnus Grant Dudley (’99) graduated from Georgia Southern University almost 13 years ago, he knew very little about working in the digital dot-com world – yet today he is the programming manager for HGTV.com and editor-in-chief of HGTV’s design blog “Design Happens.”
His first job after leaving Georgia Southern put him on track for the career he had always envisioned – working as a broadcast journalist. In his entry-level position at the Cable News Network (CNN) in Atlanta, Ga., Dudley handled phone calls and viewers’ complaints and compliments. He often found it difficult dealing with the public but said, “I was working at CNN for crying out loud. I wasn’t complaining. It was a stepping stone to so much more and I was honored to be there.”
The Jonesboro, Ga., native quickly moved up through the ranks and before long was an associate producer for “American Morning with Paula Zahn.” However, four years after arriving at CNN, Dudley realized producing and writing news was no longer the dream he wanted. “Your life is dictated by news and that began to wear on me,” he explained. “Keep in mind; I was working in the CNN newsroom during 9/11 and America’s invasion of Iraq. It was a lot. Although I was succeeding and growing in my profession, it wasn’t what I wanted for the rest of my life.”
Eight years ago, he landed at Scripps Networks Interactive in Knoxville, Tenn., and has been there ever since. He has worked on talent and show pages for FoodNetwork.com, including cooking show hosts Rachael Ray and Paula Deen. As programming manager for HGTV.com and editor-in-chief of the blog “Design Happens,” he writes most of the copy you see when you visit HGTV.com. “I love that I’m able to be creative and not be in a pressure-cooker environment,” he said.
In February, Dudley returned to the University for the first time since graduating as the featured speaker in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’ Alumni Connection Lecture Series. “Believe it or not, I miss studying in the library. I miss the campus in the spring and fall — Sweetheart Circle especially.
“My favorite memories are of listening to Maya Angelou when she visited campus, hanging out with close friends and all of my communication classes,” he said. “ I am deeply rooted in Georgia Southern University. No matter where I go in my career, I will stand on the solid foundation that the school provided me. I’m a Georgia Southern boy — I take that Eagle Nation pride with me always!”
– Sandra Bennett