David O. Egner, CEO and president of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, will deliver the keynote address at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation’s ninth annual Nonprofit Networking Day on Oct. 11.
“We are thrilled to welcome David O. Egner to Nonprofit Networking Day this year,” said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit. “Mr. Egner has had a long, accomplished career in the nonprofit world and has been a driving force for doing good in the world. We know that his experience will inspire all of those in attendance.”
Nonprofit Networking Day brings together nonprofit organizations’ staff, board and volunteers for an opportunity to collaborate, learn and network.
Egner’s speech, “The Consistency of Change: Making a difference in an increasingly ambiguous world,” will address one of the most integral pieces of a nonprofit career: making a difference – something Egner has been no stranger to in his current and past professional roles.
In January 2016, Egner was appointed president and CEO of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation with the unique challenge of leading a $1.2 billion foundation that must be spent down by 2035. The Foundation has been funding projects and initiatives across Western New York and Southeast Michigan that support active lifestyle, early childhood development, young adults and working families, entrepreneurship and economic development and caregivers
“If you have followed what the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is doing, you know that the Foundation is working in a way that will change the landscape of our region for the better,” said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit. “The Foundation has already supported a number of projects in our local region, including innovative, new playgrounds; girls in sports programs; early childhood learning initiatives; and caregiver support.”
Prior to his role with the Wilson Foundation, Egner for 19 years was president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation, which focused on improving the quality of life in the metropolitan Detroit area. The Hudson-Webber Foundation and Egner’s efforts were at the heart of the reinvigoration of Midtown and Downtown Detroit.
In 2009, he was named one of Crain’s Detroit Business Newsmakers of the Year for his work with both the Hudson-Webber Foundation and other economic development initiatives and was featured in DBusiness Magazine as one of the “500 Most Powerful Executives in Southeast Michigan.”
His more than 30 years’ experience with nonprofits and foundations include his early years as executive assistant to the chairman at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, MI, and guiding the Michigan Nonprofit Association through its development and mergers.
Egner has served on a number of national boards and is currently on the board of the Council of Michigan Foundations and Huntington Bank’s Southeast Michigan Advisory Board. He has also served as chair of the Michigan Office of Foundation Liaison under three governors.
Nonprofit Networking Day also will include breakout sessions on topics such as fundraising and campaign readiness, storytelling that compels donors to give, grant application tips and developing cross-generational relationships.
The day will begin with registration at 8 a.m. and include a noon networking luncheon.
Registration is now open. To register, visit cattfoundation.org/NND. Contact the Foundation at 716-301-2723 with any further questions.
St. Bonaventure University and the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsors for the event.
For 25 years, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation has been the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).
