David O. Egner
President & CEO
David Egner has led the Hudson-Webber Foundation as its President & CEO since 1997. Established in 1943 with major contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Webber, other members of the Webber family, and The J. L. Hudson Company, the Foundation has assets of over $160 million and concentrates its efforts and resources on its mission of improving the quality of life in metropolitan Detroit.
In addition to his work with the Foundation, Egner also serves as Executive Director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a $100 million philanthropic partnership dedicated to accelerate the transition of southeast Michigan to a more innovation-based economy. Under Egner’s leadership the New Economy Initiative has targeted grantmaking to promote a successful entrepreneurial eco-system, capitalize on existing regional assets and resources, and build and employ a more skilled and educated workforce.
Egner has more than 20 years experience working with nonprofits and foundations, from his early years as an executive assistant to the chairman at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek to guiding the Michigan Nonprofit Association, a Lansing-based coalition, through its development and mergers.
He serves on the boards of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, the Council of Michigan Foundations, Inc., among many others and is Chairman of the Michigan Future Board of Directors and Leadership Council. Egner is a graduate of Leadership Detroit Class XIX and chaired the Leadership Detroit Trustees from 2009 to 2010. In 2006, Egner was appointed by Governor Granholm as a member of the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, and in 2009 he was named one of Crain’s Newsmakers of the Year for his work with both the Hudson-Webber Foundation and NEI.
Egner has an M.B.A. from Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. He resides with his wife Tammy and their four children in metro Detroit.
Katy Locker
Vice President of Programs
Katy Locker joined the Hudson-Webber Foundation in 2008. Established in 1943 with major contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Webber, other members of the Webber family, and The J. L. Hudson Company, the Foundation has assets of over $160 million and concentrates its efforts and resources on its mission of improving the quality of life in metropolitan Detroit. During 2010, the Foundation provided grants totaling over $6.2 million.
In addition to managing Hudson-Webber’s grantmaking programs and grantee relationships, Locker has led an effort with Foundation President & CEO David Egner, to enhance the focus of the Hudson-Webber Foundation’s work and giving to include 15×15, a shared vision to attract 15,000 young, talented households to Greater Downtown Detroit by 2015. The Foundation works in the targeted geography of Greater Downtown Detroit to assist in making it the kind of place that young talent wants to be. 15×15 is a focused extension of the Foundation’s historical giving to the Woodward Corridor.
Before joining the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Locker practiced law and worked on a variety of policy projects in the city of Detroit and served as the Director for the Coalition for a Detroit Land Bank. In addition, she previously served the Judicial Council of California as a Policy Analyst and practiced law in California.
A resident of Detroit, Locker is a board member of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan and a prior board member and chair of the Detroit Artists Market. Locker is a graduate of Leadership Detroit Class XXVIII. She holds a bachelors degree and masters in Public Administration from Cornell University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. In 2010, Locker was named to Crain’s Business Forty Under Forty.
Julie Ermler
Director of Finance & Administration
Julie Ermler joined the Hudson-Webber Foundation in 2008. Established in 1943 with major contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Webber, other members of the Webber family, and The J. L. Hudson Company, the Foundation has assets of over $160 million and concentrates its efforts and resources on its mission of improving the quality of life in metropolitan Detroit. During 2010, the Foundation provided grants totaling over $6.2 million.
Prior to joining Hudson-Webber Foundation, Julie worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Detroit as an auditor and became a licensed certified public accountant. The clients she worked on included various not-for-profit organizations. She left public accounting and commenced work in the private foundation industry by accepting a job at The Skillman Foundation located in Detroit as their Accounting Manager. She enjoys working in the private foundation industry because she is able to use her technical skills in an environment that improves the lives of people in the Detroit area.
Ermler is a graduate of Leadership Detroit Class XXXII. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wayne State University and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance.
Judy Lynne Myers, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO
Abir Ali, Program Fellow
Stephanie Armes, Grants and Finance Associate