posted October 25, 2002
Four community leaders will be honored Wednesday, Nov. 6, on National Philanthropy Day.
Those being honored are Patsy Hazlewood, Leadership Fundraiser of the Year; Paul and Linda Neely, Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year; and Chattem, Corporate Philanthropist of the Year.
The recognition event will be at a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the Imperial Ballroom at the Choo-Choo.
Officials of the Southeast Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals said they "will honor three Chattanooga leaders and one corporation for their dedicated involvement in and support of philanthropy."
The guest speaker is Ms. Corinne Allen, executive director of the Benwood Foundation.
National Philanthropy Day is "the special day set aside to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy – and those people active in the philanthropic community – have made to our lives, communities, nation, and world."
Sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, NPD "acknowledges the entire spectrum of services provided by the non-profit sector and recognizes the profound impact that philanthropy has on the fabric of society."
The 2002 celebration is the 16th annual celebration in Chattanooga. Over 60 philanthropic leaders and organizations have been honored.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents nearly 25,000 fundraisers in 159 chapters throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. The Association fosters development and growth of fundraising professionals and promotes high ethical standards in the fundraising profession. The AFP Southeastern Tennessee Chapter represents more than 200 charitable fundraisers in the local area. AFP was formerly known as the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE).
According to Giving USA 2002 (produced by the American Association of Fundraising Counsel and the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy), in 2001, total giving equaled $212 billion, a 0.5 percent increase from 2000. Individual donations accounted for 75.8 percent of the total, or $160.72 billion, while bequests made up 7.7 percent or $16.33 billion. Corporations gave $9.05 billion (or 4.3 percent) to charitable causes, while foundations granted $25.90 billion (12.2 percent).
According to Giving and Volunteering in the United States 2001 (produced by Independent Sector), 89 percent of households gave charitable contributions in 2000. The average contributing household gave $1,620, or 3.2 percent of household income. Forty-four percent (44 percent) of adults over the age of 21 volunteered with a formal organization in 2000. Of those who volunteered, 69 percent volunteered on a regular basis, at least monthly. An estimated 83.9 million adults volunteered approximately 15.5 billion hours in 2000, representing the equivalent of 9 million full-time employees with an estimated value of $239 billion.
Patsy Hazlewood
Leadership Fund Raiser of the Year
The Leadership Fund Raiser Award is presented to an individual demonstrating exceptional leadership skills in coordinating groups of volunteers for major fund-raising projects of more than one not-for-profit organization.
Patsy Hazlewood is the Regional Director for BellSouth Corporate and External Affairs in Chattanooga. Born in Fayetteville, Tn., and reared in Athens, Ala., she attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. After a short stint teaching junior high mathematics, Mrs. Hazlewood began her telephone career in Nashville in 1974. After several assignments in the Building Engineering and Real Estate departments, she came to Chattanooga in 1980 as business office manager.
She managed the Residence Service Center Billing Department from 1982 until she moved to Corporate and External Affairs in 1988. She began her current assignment as the Chattanooga director in 1989.
Mrs. Hazlewood is immediate past president of the Chattanooga Sports Committee board, chairperson of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, immediate past president of the board of The Better Business Bureau and vice president of the Speech and Hearing Center board. She currently serves on the boards of T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Chattanooga Police Foundation and United Way. She was the 2001 chair for Chattanooga’s United Way campaign.
Her husband, Hal, is retired from BellSouth, and they reside on Signal Mountain. Their son, Ben, is a 1999 graduate of McCallie School and is now a senior at Furman University in Greenville, SC.
Chattem
Corporate Philanthropist of the Year
The Corporate Philanthropist Award is presented to a local corporation which has shown outstanding community spirit and commitment to the goals of building a better community for all citizens by contributing to charitable causes, playing an active role in community improvement activities and encouraging volunteerism and community involvement among its members.
The rich legacy of Chattem’s community involvement began when Chattem was established in 1879 as The Chattanooga Medicine Company. Generations of visionary leaders beginning with Z.C. Patten have provided the company with a passion for excellence and fostered a sincere interest in the welfare of this community. The corporate culture is largely based on three guiding principles: 1) treat others with respect; 2) do what’s right; and 3) do your best with the keyword being “do.” Chattem prides itself on being “doers” in both business and the community.
During even the most challenging of economic times, corporate stewardship at Chattem has been tempered with perspective and compassion for those in need. During the Great Depression, the company never failed to pay a stock dividend and was a pioneer of employee benefits. But corporate citizenship did not stop with its employees during this devastating period in history as Chattem spearheaded the establishment of and aggressively supported Community Chest funds, an early predecessor of the United Way.
When the patriotic call came from our community during WWII, Chattem again stepped forward to become one of the nation’s leading producers of food and medicines for the U.S. Army. Machines and production lines ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on its way to producing over 34 million K-Rations during the course of the war. As a result, Chattem earned the prestigious E Award, named in honor of President Eisenhower, not one but five times for its efforts.
Over the years, Chattem has pioneered a number of advertising and marketing techniques and prides itself on its seemingly innate ability to seize and leverage momentum in the marketplace. As a result, it has grown into one of the premier marketers in small and medium niche categories in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Chattem presently manufactures and markets 24 high quality, branded consumer products including over-the-counter healthcare, toiletry, skin care and nutritional supplement items.
Chattem and its dedicated family of almost 400 employees faithfully and unselfishly respond to the needs within our community with gifts of time, talents and capital resources that enable organizations like the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Baylor School, University of the South, The Challenger Center, Creative Discovery Museum, The Champions Club, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, The Chattanooga Nature Center, the Children’s Home/Chambliss Shelter and the United Way to fulfill their respective missions and enrich our everyday lives.
Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year
Paul and Linda Neely
The Outstanding Philanthropist Award is presented to an individual or family with a proven record of exceptional generosity who, through direct financial support, has demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to take philanthropic leadership roles on a community, national and/or international level.
Paul Neely is the former publisher of The Chattanooga Times. He began his career in 1970 with the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise, serving successively as a reporter, editorial writer and assistant to the editors. From 1973 to 1980 he was with The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky rising from copy editor to assistant managing editor/features. From 1980 to 1983 he was news features editor of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. Mr. Neely became managing editor of The Chattanooga Times in 1983 and editor/deputy publisher in 1991. In 1992 he was named publisher, the first person outside the Ochs/Sulzberger family to hold that title since Adolph S. Ochs bought the paper in 1878. He also became a vice president and director of the Times Printing Company. Mr. Neely retired in April 1999, a few months after The Times merged with the Chattanooga Free Press. His many professional activities include serving as a Director for the Tennessee Press Association, a juror for The Pulitzer Prizes, a member of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and a member of Associated Press Managing Editors. Mr. Neely was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prizes in 1973.
Mr. Neely’s civic involvement includes serving as Chairman of the United Way of Greater Chattanooga and the Hunter Museum of American Art and as a Co-Chair of the Coalition for Community Building and the Arts and Education Council. He has served as a Trustee for Williams College and the Tennessee Aquarium, and he has also been a member of the UTC Chancellor’s Roundtable. In addition, he has served on the board of directors for the Boys’ Club of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Council for Community Services, Make-A-Wish Foundation of East Tennessee/North Georgia, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise and the Chattanooga Rotary Club to name only a few.
Linda Neely is an artist and co-owner of an art gallery. Before turning to art, she too had a career in journalism, including a column in the Chattanooga Times called “Great Kids.” Over the years,Mrs. Neely has been an active volunteer and private supporter of numerous arts, environment and health groups.
Mr. and Mrs. Neely live on Elder Mountain with their two sons: David, Class of 2003 at the United States Naval Academy, and Michael, Class of 2006 at Williams College.
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