Foundation gives Heritage Award
| Printable version | | |
"Heritage" and "legacy" might seem like opposite ends of the spectrum. The first, you obtain from your past; the second, you create for the future.
For Chuck Seeman, the two are completely intertwined. Early on, his family taught him the value of giving back to the community - a heritage he is passing on to his own grown children. And he and his wife, Susan, are making a lasting legacy through charitable gifts and donations of time.
That makes Mr. Seeman a most fitting recipient of this year's Heritage Award from the Legacy Society of the Backus Foundation.
"There are two ways of giving back to the community - through the giving of your time or the opening of your checkbook," Mr. Seeman said. "I was taught to consider it a responsibility: if you can give, you should give. After all, it's the members of the community who determine what type of community we are going to have now and in the future."
After donating to Backus Hospital's most recent BackusCare capital campaign, Chuck and Susan Seeman worked with the Backus Foundation to craft a longer-term commitment. This included an annual pledge over several years to create an endowment. Half of this ongoing gift will help grow the endowment further, and half will be gifted annually to the hospital for its greatest needs.
"Backus is a natural fit for our charitable giving," Mr. Seeman said. "It is an excellent community hospital, with quality patient care and services,"
Mr. Seeman received the Heritage Award at a luncheon on Sept. 16. This was the fourth annual presentation of the award, which was established to recognize those who champion gifts of legacy, thereby furthering the mission of the Hospital for future generations.
Mr. Seeman's father, Fred Seeman, is an Honorary Corporator of Backus Hospital who served on the Backus Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1988. In 2001, Chuck and his brother, Bill, along with their wives Susan and Ellen, wanted to honor their parents' golden anniversary with a memorable contribution. They decided to make a substantial contribution to the Backus Foundation, with Fred and his wife, Carol, matching it. This endowment continues to grow and provide enduring support for Backus Hospital.
The Seemans know that gifts of time and talent can be just as significant as gifts of assets, and they have been generous in volunteer work, as well. Mr. Seeman, who has been President and CEO of United Community & Family Services for 13 years, serves on numerous volunteer boards and community organizations. Mrs. Seeman, a recently retired teacher, serves on special events committees for the Backus Foundation.
"It is important to share our knowledge and expertise with other community improvement efforts," he said.
In addition to being a Backus Corporator, Mr. Seeman is a member of the Board of Directors of Southeastern Connecticut Housing Alliance and of the Board of Directors of SECTER. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Otis Library, and a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Hartford School of Business. He serves as vice president of the board of the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut.
He also is a member of the Norwich Rotary Club, and served as president in 2005-06. He is a former member of the Norwich Redevelopment Agency and was chairman of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce in 1988.
He is vice chairman of the New London County Health Collaborative, which was created to improve access to health care and encourage collaboration with community services in southeastern Connecticut. There are 15 organizations involved in the collaborative, including UCFS and Backus.
The Backus Legacy Society was established to recognize individuals who have made a provision in their will, trust, or other planned giving instrument to leave a gift to the Backus Foundation for the benefit of Backus Hospital. For more information, contact Genevieve Schies, the Backus Foundation's Director of Planned Giving, at 823-6331.