Lenora Hardy-Foster, M.B.A., is the President and CEO of Judson Center and she earned her Under-Graduate Degree in Business and Graduate Degree Masters of Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy. She has been the President and CEO of Judson Center for 5 years. Judson Center is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1924 and provides foster care/adoption, behavioral health, primary health, autism and disabilities services that impact the lives of over 12,000 children, adults and families each year, with offices located in five counties throughout the state of Michigan. Previously, She began working for Southwest Solutions which is a non-profit human services organization located in Detroit, Michigan. She was hired as an accounting manager, and during her 36 years tenure with the nonprofit agency, she was promoted numerous times and advancing to become the Executive Director of the Administrative Supports Organization.
She is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of Judson Center and its three whollyowned subsidiaries by creating new partnerships, working diligently with the Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team and building upon the 97 year legacy of improving lives, all while creating a strong, productive community throughout Southeastern Michigan. She has extensive experience in financial management, strategic planning, low and historic tax credits, asset management, managed care capitation and case rate funding, third-party reimbursements, union contract negotiations, electronic health record systems implementation, corporate compliance and risk management, human resources administration and property management.
Her commitment to the community continues through a variety of leadership roles that includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families, Chair of the Finance Committee of the Hannan Center, Board Member of Incompass Michigan for the Disabled, Board Member of JARC, and a Past-President of Financial Executives International Detroit-Chapter. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of Detroit Mercy College of Business Administration, Lawrence Technological University College of Management and CEO Council for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. She has received numerous accolades some of which includes being recognized as Crain’s “2008 CFO of the Year” in the nonprofit category, 2016 Best of Michigan Business Community Leader, 2017 International Association of Jesuit Business Schools Global Award for leadership and community service, 2017 Financial Executive of the Year, 2018 Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence, 2018 Business Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award, University of Detroit Mercy College, 2019 Crain’s Health Care Hero and 2020 Crain’s Notable Women in Health. She is a graduate of Leadership Detroit XXIII, a program of the Detroit Regional Chamber and in July 2018 she successfully completed the “Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management” from Harvard Business School.
She has strong faith in her Christian walk and has been a member of Church of Christ for all her life. For over 40 years she has been a dedicated and faithful member of the Oakland Church of Christ where she serves as Treasurer and the Chair of the Finance Committee.
She is happily married to Duane for 38 years and they have one daughter, Ayanna, son-in-law Terence, granddaughter Ava and is an aunt to her nephew, Caleb who holds a special place in her heart.