Following two decades of servant-hearted leadership, successful fundraising, and strategic non-profit administration, Wendy took the helm as the first non-family leader of the Herrick Foundation in 2023. The Herrick Foundation, a private foundation focused on strengthening rural Michigan communities, has invested more than $600 million in charitable support since its inception in 1949.
Prior to becoming the CEO of the Herrick Foundation, Wendy served as the President & CEO of the UMRC and Porter Hills Foundation for more than ten years, where she and her team raised more than $60 million to support the needs of Michigan’s older adults, a 400% fundraising increase over the previous decade. Those years of experience as a nonprofit leader and fundraiser drove Wendy to expand the Herrick Foundation’s grant making to include professional development by offering capacity building programs like the Fund Raising School’s CFRM and other courses to grant partners.
In addition to a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s in business and leadership, Wendy has additional training including Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Certificate Fund Raising Management (CFRM), and Non-Profit Executive Leadership Certificate from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; plus Benevon Comprehensive Fundraising Training, and Leadership Michigan. Wendy enjoys service on many non-profit boards and is active with Grantmakers in Aging, and the Johnson Center Foundation CEO Spend Down group.
While Michigan is home, Wendy and her husband enjoy exploring national parks in their Airstream travel trailer.