Trustee Charles Herbert: Faith in a More Just Tomorrow
One of Wheeler’s longest-serving trustees, Charles J. Herbert, CFP traces his love of community service to his faith and upbringing.
“As they say, ‘To whom much is given, much will be required.,’” he adds, and his six years on the board has found him serving in multiple capacities, from fundraising, support for Wheeler’s annual golf classic, on the finance committee, and guiding the organization’s retirement plan administration.
The director of sales and marketing for investment firm Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Inc., Herbert says the notion of service weaves into his entire life, far beyond Wheeler, through his family’s passion for philanthropy and board commitments and volunteer work at organizations like Copper Beech Institute, Holy Family Retreat Center, Just Faith in Louisville, Kentucky, and The Open Hearth in Hartford.
“Social justice and inclusion are vital,” he says. “Large parts of our society are left behind. It’s clear to anyone looking. We need so much more care and compassion for each other, so much more attention addressing the large, systemic problems we have across the world. Half of the world lives in abject poverty, making less than $5.50 a day. If we each can directly or indirectly lift and help one person, what a difference we could make globally, and especially locally.”
Even with his years of experience on the board, Herbert says he continually is impressed by Wheeler’s approach to whole-person care.
“It’s actually intimidating to consider just how many things we do,” he says. “Certainly, the arc of our progress has been accelerated by Sabrina, but we’ve taken a lead in really focusing on treating people holistically, addressing the full spectrum of life, particularly in families, and tackling the societal issues that we know affect health.”
He believes Wheeler is a leader in the state today for its philosophy of care, and in five years, will become more of a regional and national model for how health and wellness can be viewed. Through his work, he hopes to help take Wheeler there.
“I believe deeply in service to my community as an inherent responsibility,” he says. “I know that supporting Wheeler as a trustee helps make a difference in thousands of lives."
