The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Meeting and Spotlight Awards ceremony on June 27, honoring 2024 award winners.

By Ronni Newton

The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce recognized businesses and individuals who have had a major impact on the community at its annual dinner and awards ceremony, attended by several hundred people on June 27, 2024 at the North House.

Many wiped tears from their eyes as the Chamber’s prestigious Noah Webster Award – given each year to the person, persons, or organization exemplifying an extraordinary commitment to the West Hartford community – was given posthumously to Earl Exum, and accepted by his wife, Tammy Exum.

As has become tradition, the previous year’s award winner introduces the new honoree, and Tracey Wilson, last year’s Noah Webster Award winner, noted that when Earl Exum died suddenly at age 55 on Oct. 1, 2023, “his death sent shock waves through this community.” Most didn’t know quite how many projects he was involved with, Wilson said, “as we knew he was ‘all in’ on the ones we worked with him on.”

In a tribute to his accomplishments, Wilson noted that Exum engaged with people of all ages, was president of WHAASCO (West Hartford African American Social & Cultural Organization), was a moderator at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, chaired the board of West Hartford Community Interactive, was a member of the 100-year-old professional fraternity Sigma Pi Phi Beta Iota Boule in the Farmington Valley, and was treasurer of the Urban League of Greater Hartford and a catalyst for corporate involvement with the organization.

“Earl was so proud of his African heritage that it didn’t take long in any conversation, at least with me, to get to Black history. He wanted to be sure that Black Americans and Black West Hartford residents who had agency persisted and were succeeded front and center in the historical record,” she said. He was instrumental in the evolution of the work of the Witness Stones and Hidden History projects in town.

He was also instrumental in getting a memorial for Lemuel Haynes installed in West Hartford, the place of birth of the man who became the first African American to be ordained by a mainstream denomination in the United States and the first to lead a mainstream protestant church.

“A man who was successful in so many arenas, who touched so many lives, broke barriers, and was proud of who he was and how he helped to build this community. When Earl saw an issue, understood a need, he brought people together to address that issue. Earl’s life in this community tells us how important it is to live in the present,” said Wilson. He was physically strong, athletically talented, and loved dancing with his wife.

“His smile, his laugh, his joy for living are no longer here, but in a way are a part of each of us who knew him,” she said. “He was a beacon who modeled how to serve for so many of us.”

In an also moving speech, Tammy Exum accepted the award, and shared that she was privileged and honored to stand in for her husband. “The power of one person can have such impact upon a community, upon this world. The power of one, there have been so many examples, and I look at Earl’s life and he is an example of that, he touched so many things.”

Exum said she was very glad to be able to speak about how Earl’s impact will continue.

She and Earl were in different states when he died, Tammy Exum said, but had celebrated their wedding anniversary the day before and had together for 30 years. He valued his health, and was in fantastic shape, she said, and while his sudden death was a shock, an autopsy revealed that “Earl died from a widow maker.” A “widow maker” is the deadliest type of heart attack, and the event, medically described as an ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), involves a total or nearly total blockage of a coronary artery.

“This should never have happened to him,” she said the pathologist told her following an autopsy, and said that a coronary calcium scan could have saved him. “All he needed was a stent. That would have saved his life,” was what the pathologist told her, Exum said.

She said people are often unaware of the test, which costs $100-$150, because it’s not typically covered by insurance. “There is nothing that I can do to bring back my husband, but I know that I can use his platform to try to help save the lives of others because that’s a big part of Earl’s legacy and he is still exemplifying the power of one,” Exum said.

Tammy Exum represents the 19th State House District in the General Assembly, and said as part of Senate Bill 1, adopted during the most recent session, effective Jan. 1, 2025, coronary calcium scans will be covered by insurance in Connecticut. It’s already covered by Medicaid and Husky. Also important is the advocacy, she said, urging people to ask about the test.

“I want to continue to perpetuate Earl’s legacy, the power of one, the building of community, by sharing what happened to him and trying to prevent this from happening to anyone else,” she said.

The Chamber has been presenting the Noah Webster Award since 1989, but in 2022 introduced another special community impact award – the Elizabeth Gustin Basil Women’s Leadership Award – which was presented for the first time in 2022 – was this year awarded to Judy Casperson, a former bank executive and Town Council member who is the founder of Casperson Consulting LLC.

Carrianne Polo of New Park Creative, last year’s Elizabeth Gustin Basil Women’s Leadership Award winner, introduced Casperson.

“Advocates make bold moves for the betterment of others,” said Casperson, the first person of color to be elected to West Hartford’s Town Council. She encouraged the next generation of leaders. “I wear many hats and check many boxes, and by opening that door a lot of things got done. Doors open because people move on.”

In politics, working across the aisle is also important, added Casperson.

“Advocacy and servant leadership has served me well in politics, banking, and now coaching … if there is another door to open so we can go through it is the door of resilience, which includes the love of learning, and the love of challenge,” Casperson said. She spoke about the importance of leadership, and said she doesn’t shy away from challenges, and said it’s important to be a role model for her daughters.

“There is no ‘us’ if you lose ‘you’ in the process,” Casperson said, urging people to take time for themselves in order to better be able to serve the greater good. “Learn, train, up-skill, get that PhD …  know your worth and then you can build relationships, serve the community, and pay it forward.”