Vice President of Programs
Michael Shaw is Vice President of Programs for the Hudson-Webber Foundation and is responsible for administering grant making activities and managing program partnerships across the foundation’s portfolio. Shaw has a strong background in community and economic development, human services and place-based systems change.
Prior to joining the foundation, he served as Program Officer for Human Services at the Kresge Foundation where he led strategies to advance social and economic mobility. He previously was director of philanthropic development and innovation with the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a Baltimore-based national organization dedicated to breaking the link between unhealthy housing and unhealthy children and served on the civic investment team at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Shaw holds both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work from Syracuse University. He has served in a variety of civic and philanthropic leadership capacities, including an inaugural PLACES Fellow, the national board of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy and as a governor’s appointee to the State of Maryland Commission on Civic Literacy. Currently, Michael serves on the boards of Midtown Detroit Inc., Detroit Cultural Center Association, Joe Louis Greenway Partnership, Michigan Justice Fund, amongst others.
Executive Administrative Specialist
Fay Saad joined the Hudson-Webber Foundation in 2017. In her role as Executive Administrative Specialist, Saad is responsible for providing comprehensive support to the President, Executive Team, and the Board of Trustees performing a variety of organizational, administrative, and research duties.
Prior to joining the foundation, Saad worked at the Office of the Chief Financial Officer of the City of Detroit, assisting the Deputy Treasurer of the City. Saad also worked for the Detroit Police Department, where she worked in the administrative office of the Fifth Precinct, and was Executive Assistant to the Arab American National Museum’s founding director.
President and CEO
Donald Rencher assumed the role of President and CEO at the Hudson Webber Foundation in February 2024. Prior to his tenure at the foundation, Rencher served as the Group Executive for Housing, Planning & Development for the City of Detroit, a role he held since January 2021. During his time there, he spearheaded the coordination of neighborhood investments citywide, overseeing initiatives such as the Strategic Neighborhood Fund. Rencher’s dedication to advancing affordable housing and fostering economic prosperity for all Detroit residents through strategic urban development is evident in his extensive 13-year career.
Rencher’s impact on Detroit’s landscape is undeniable, having held progressive leadership positions within the city for nine years. Notably, from 2018 to 2020, he served as the Director of Housing and Revitalization, where he crafted and executed policies and investment strategies resulting in the preservation of 10,000 affordable housing units, creation of 2,000 new affordable housing units, with a total investment exceeding $1 billion.
Before his tenure with the City of Detroit, Rencher served as Senior Counsel for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), further solidifying his expertise in housing and community development.
Rencher’s leadership and commitment to equitable urban development make him a driving force in shaping the future of Detroit’s built environment and ensuring opportunities for all its residents.
VP Finance and Administration
Liz has over fifteen years accounting and administration experience in the manufacturing and nonprofit industries. Prior to joining the Hudson-Webber Foundation, she was Vice President of Administration and Finance for Ann Arbor SPARK and was responsible for the accounting operations of the company. This includes the production of monthly financial reports, maintenance of accounting records, and a comprehensive set of controls and budgets designed to mitigate risk and enhance the accuracy of the company’s reported financial results. She also managed grant reporting and was responsible for Financial and Single Audits.
Earlier in her career she was Controller/Treasurer for InterClean Equipment, a design build manufacturer in Ypsilanti, MI.
Liz earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Masters in Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti. She occasionally teaches Intermediate and Cost Accounting as an adjunct instructor at Schoolcraft College. She holds the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
Program Officer
Sara Elbohy is the Program Officer for the Hudson-Webber Foundation. In her previous position as an urban planner with the city of Detroit’s Planning and Development department, Elbohy conducted research on land, market and socio-economic trends in neighborhood planning areas as part of the Strategic Neighborhood Fund program. She also coordinated the Land Based Projects Team, an inter-departmental and inter-agency working group focused on improving city processes in support of utilizing vacant land for neighborhood revitalization and economic development.
Elbohy also served as a project manager with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, where she managed a pipeline of more than 200 real estate development projects, from application intake and review to transaction processing to compliance. She previously held a position as a project manager with Humanwire in Istanbul, Turkey, where she assisted Syrian and Iraqi refugees. Before returning to Detroit, she spent several years working with various refugee aid and human development organizations.
Fluent in three languages, Elbohy holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and global studies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Sara lives in Detroit, MI with her husband and two little dogs.
Philanthropy Fellow
Ana Ćuković, PhD is an anthropologist and sociologist by training studying urban development and migrant emplacement in Detroit. Dr. Ćuković’s research examines the role of contemporary and historical internal and international migration together with the shifts in economy, politics, and policy as they shape the city and its neighborhoods. Her academic work is informed by extensive professional and community experience in the arts, urban development, migration, and policy in Detroit. Dr. Ćuković facilitated and led community outreach activities, cultural and neighborhood events, and strategic initiatives for various organizations. During her PhD, she held a position as Project Coordinator for the Europe-Asia Research Platform on Forced Migration where she managed and organized international conferences, major publications, and facilitated the expansion and reach of Platform activity.
Dr. Ćuković obtained her doctorate from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Central European University while her previous studies include an MA in International Relations, Conflict Resolution, and Civil Society Development from the American University of Paris and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Nationalism Studies from Central European University, as well as a BA in International Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Staff Accountant
Yolanda Curry joined Hudson-Webber in December 2022. A seasoned financial professional, Yolanda functions as a Finance Associate, working directly with the VP of Finance and Admin to support the finance and administrative functions of the Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Yolanda worked as the Owner and Lead Tax Preparer for 220 Consulting LLC, providing tax and financial services to individuals and small business owners in Michigan, Ohio and Georgia. She resides in Southfield, MI with her husband and two sons.
