Committed to Community:
Meet Hugh Burgess W ith the recent transition of AFCU to
Spero Financial, you may be seeing a
new face around Spero — that of Hugh Burgess, one of AFCU’s most influential board chairs and a stronghold in the Anderson community.
“For my wife, Rita and I, we intentionally have a filter for where we put our ‘time, talent, and treasure’ in our community service,” he said. “It’s simple; we ask two questions: ‘Do they give hope? And are they changing lives?’ If you look at our service, AFCU always passed that test, and we are confident Spero Financial passes and will continue to pass that test!” Born in Seneca, Hugh was one of six children growing up in a Textile Community called Utica — home to the J. P. Stevens Plant. At that time, living in the Textile Capital of the World, it was inevitable that he would work at the plant — just as five of the eight members of his family did, including Hugh, who went to work for them on his 16th birthday. Over the years, Hugh would serve throughout the Anderson community. In business, he served 18 years in multiple positions with the former Clark Schwebel Inc — the world’s largest producer of glass, Kevlar, and other technical fabrics — then as the President of Consolidated Southern Industries — a mechanical, electrical, and general contractor.
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