Marty Webb, Ed.D.

"Nothing gives me greater professional joy than identifying, nurturing and raising up leaders."   -- Dr. Marty Webb

Dr. Marty Webb is the founder and Executive Director Emerita of Monarch Institute. The Institute grew out of The Monarch School, founded in Marty's garage in 1997. Marty grew up in Trenton, Michigan, discovered special education in her sophomore year in college, immediately changed her major and has been grateful every day since to have found her life's work and passion. She holds a B.S. in special education from the University of Michigan and an M.Ed. in educational administration from Houston Baptist University. She earned her Ed.D. in private school leadership from The University of San Francisco. Since 1964 she has been a special education teacher, early childhood teacher, private tutor and a private school principal. She became principal of Corpus Christi Catholic School in 1980 when it was on the brink of closing and spent 17 years recruiting and training a team of exceptional educators. Together, they transformed the school into a remarkable community of learners who earned the coveted United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award. 

During this first experience in educational administration, the philosophy and practice of Robert Greenleaf's servant leadership took root in Marty's heart and soul. She practiced being first a servant, then a leader, insuring that other people’s highest priority needs are being served and constantly applying the test "are those I serve growing as persons?" Servant leaders, she believes, can also create servant leader organizations, with the potential to change the world. 

After Marty earned her doctorate, she craved a new professional challenge and a new venue for servant leadership. The fact that our nation's fourth largest city did not have a therapeutic day school to serve children with neurological differences had long been personally and professionally embarrassing to her. She believed she had the skills, passion, energy and endurance to create a special school to fill that vast gap. She served as Head of School and later also as Executive Director of Monarch Institute from July 1997 to June 2012. 

Marty's greatest professional joy is identifying, encouraging and mentoring others to step into positions of leadership. Like fellow Michigander Harry S. Firestone, she believes that "the growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership".