Our Staff And Trustees
Our team of staff and trustees take pride in our task of carrying out the mission
of a lifetime. Through hard work, collaboration and connection with our respective communities, we look
forward to partnering with changemakers to create incredible impact.

From Left to Right (Top): Jeffrey C. Littmann, Life Trustee; Jerry Mazurkiewicz, Trustee; Dave Egner, President & CEO; W. Frank Fountain, Trustee; David Colligan, Trustee; From Left to Right (Bottom): Mary Owen, Life Trustee; Eugene Driker, Life Trustee; Mary Wilson, Board Chair & Life Trustee
Our Staff
David O. Egner
President & CEO
In January, 2016, David Egner was appointed president and CEO of the newly-formed Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, a $1.2 billion foundation that must spend down by 2035. The Foundation’s funding priorities include Active Lifestyles, Caregivers, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development and Preparing for Success. Funding is concentrated in Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The assets of the Foundation come from the estate of Mr. Wilson, a Detroiter who founded and owned the Buffalo Bills NFL football team.
Jim Boyle
Vice President of Programs and Communications
Jim Boyle joined the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in May 2016 as the vice president of programs and communications. Boyle previously served as senior program officer at the New Economy Initiative (NEI), a special program of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan working to support entrepreneurship, small business growth and innovation from grassroots to high growth. In this role, he helped to develop and drive culture change and promotions initiatives for the project, while assisting in the overall strategy.
Maura Dewan
Vice President of Corporate Affairs
Maura Dewan joined the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in May 2016 as director of programs and strategy and will focus on the Foundation’s partnership development, strategic initiatives and process management needs. Since 2003, Dewan served as the foundation coordinator at Michigan’s non-partisan Governor’s Office of Foundation Liaison, a non-partisan office established to create strategic partnerships between state government and the philanthropic sector. During this time, her primary focus was on three priority issue areas: early childhood/education, health and economic workforce development.
Amber Slichta
Vice President of Programs and Learning
Amber Slichta, a Buffalo native, joined the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation as vice president of programs in July 2016. Slichta previously served as vice president at the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, where she developed and implemented several major initiatives to improve the lives of children in poverty. She also facilitated many key partnerships and other projects that furthered the Foundation’s mission.
Norah M. O'Brien
Vice President of Admin and Finance
J.J. Tighe
Director, Parks & Trails Initiative
James J. (J.J.) Tighe joined the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation as director of the Parks & Trails Initiative. J.J. comes to the Foundation after having served as the president & CEO of the Michigan Fitness Foundation and Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. During that time, J.J. was instrumental in developing a collaborative partnership with the Department of Natural Resources to support the Iron Belle Trail Initiative.
Carly Strachan
Senior Communications Officer
Eric Phamdo
Program Officer
Paul Riser
Senior Program Officer
Misha Stallworth West
Program Officer
Kari Pardoe
Program Officer
Marissa Rossman
Program Associate
Kate Partington
Program Associate
Connie Lanciaux
Program Associate
Mercedes Pergande
Communications Associate
Amy Partridge
Grants Manager
Liz Delaney
Senior Learning Officer
Sarah Truax
Learning Associate
Faye Radcliffe
Executive Assistant
Danielle Wilder-Hamilton
Executive Assistant
Maria Suchyta
Executive Assistant
Tyler Parlor
CMF Philanthropy Fellow
Melanie Speelman
CMF Philanthropy Fellow
Apply For A Grant
Organizations in Western New York and Southeast Michigan within our four core funding areas are now welcome to apply through our online process.
Apply now