Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Announces New Staff Members for the New Economy Initiative

Detroit, MI, September 17, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan announced the addition of three new staff members for the New Economy Initiative.

David Egner of the Hudson-Webber Foundation was named Executive Director of the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a visionary effort by 10 national, regional and local philanthropic partners designed to accelerate the transition of southeast Michigan to an innovation economy that expands opportunity for all. Egner has served as interim director of NEI since April 2009, and will continue to serve as president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation, a position he has held since 1997.

Katie Brisson was appointed Senior Program Officer for NEI. Brisson initially joined the staff of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan as a program officer in June 1999, and has been a consultant to the Foundation since 2005. In her work at the Foundation, she has managed a number of grant-making programs that focus on a wide range of issues from health to arts and culture to projects in the LGBT community. Brisson also will continue working on projects for the Community Foundation.

Sam Singh, a senior policy consultant with Public Policy Associates in Lansing, was selected as a senior consultant to NEI. In this role, Singh will be responsible for working with NEI grantees, developing a policy framework for NEI, and leveraging NEI’s work with state and federal opportunities. His previous experience includes 10 years as the executive director of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. Singh also served as the mayor of the city of East Lansing.

The New Economy Initiative includes $100 million in funding commitments over 8 years from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (Detroit), the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation (Southfield), the Ford Foundation (New York), the Hudson-Webber Foundation (Detroit), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek), the John S. and James L .Knight Foundation (Miami), The Kresge Foundation (Troy), the McGregor Fund (Detroit), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint), and the Skillman Foundation (Detroit). The New Economy Initiative is a regional effort focusing its support in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Livingston, Lapeer and Washtenaw counties. For information on the New Economy Initiative, visit www.neweconomyinitiative.org.

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations committed to the future of southeast Michigan. The Foundation works to improve the region’s quality of life by connecting those who care with causes that matter. The Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $380 million through more than 33,500 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties. For more information, please visit www.cfsem.org.

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