Alumnus and former Chief Advancement Officer Mark Hough has died

University of North Carolina School of the Arts Vice Chancellor for Advancement Edward J. Lewis has announced that UNCSA alumnus and former Chief Advancement Officer Mark Hough died unexpectedly last Friday.

Hough served as Chief Advancement Officer from 2012-14. He was the first alumnus to be part of the school’s senior administration. He received his B.F.A. in Acting from the School of Drama in 1979.

Alumna Corey Madden, Executive Director of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and a classmate of Hough’s, shared: “Mark loved the theater as much as any man I’ve known. And he had such a big heart. He was a dedicated fundraiser and arts professional. His was a life well lived.”

An award-winning and innovative fundraiser, producer and management consultant, Hough had more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of management and strategic planning. In addition to operating his own consulting business, he also served as Executive Director of the Orlando Ballet in Florida and of Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, an award-winning Equity theater company in Cape Cod, Mass.

Additionally, Hough served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J.; Chief Development Officer at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York, N.Y.; Director of Development at Manhattan Theatre Club; and Director of Development Operations for American Ballet Theatre.

Most recently, he was Managing Director of the Colorado Ballet in Denver, where he lived.   Hough also served as an assistant professor at the Yale School of Drama, and was an adjunct professor at New York University, Christopher Newport University, and Seton Hall University. 

He graduated from The Gunnery School in Washington, Conn. In addition to receiving his B.F.A. from the UNCSA, he completed studies toward an M.F.A. in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

Plans for a memorial service are to be announced. 

by Marla Carpenter