Date: Fri 16-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Jaycees-Seaman-business

Full Text:

Seaman Named Jaycee Head

William Seaman, Jr

William Seaman, Jr, of Hanover Road, was installed as president of the

Connecticut Junior Chamber of Commerce last Saturday night at the Jaycees'

annual convention at the Rocky Hill Marriott.

A customer service representative at Union Savings Bank in Newtown, Mr Seaman,

31, has held many state and local offices in the Jaycees since he joined the

Danbury chapter in 1990. He served as executive vice president, management

development vice president and, most recently, as membership vice president on

the state level. He was the president of the Danbury chapter in 1991-92.

"I joined the Danbury chapter because I was working in Danbury at the time,"

Mr Seaman said. "The Jaycees is a young person's leadership organization.

Members are between the ages of 21 and 39. They are trained to be better

leaders through community service projects."

A lifelong Newtown resident, Mr Seaman attended St Rose School and Nonnewaug

High School in Woodbury, where he was part of the school's regional

agricultural program. He is one of five children of Olive and William Seaman,

Sr, who own a 47-acre farm on Hanover Road.

"My family had a small Christmas tree farm - we still do," Bill Seaman, Jr,

said. "After high school I attended Western Connecticut State University. I'm

still taking classes, part-time, toward a degree in business administration.

But I started working for Read's department store, where I was a department

manager, first in men's suits and then in draperies."

When the Read's stores closed, Mr Seaman went into banking. He joined Eagle

Federal three years ago, then went with Union Savings when Eagle Federal sold

seven branches to Union Savings.

As state president of the Jaycees, Bill Seaman oversees 47 chapters in the

state, including Newtown, a chapter which has dwindled in membership during

the past two decades.

"I'm going to make it a priority this year to get Newtown back on its feet,"

Mr Seaman said. "There are several chapters like it around the state which,

for one reason or another, have lost members."

State officers participate in the major events of local chapters, such as the

Greater Hartford Open which is sponsored by the Hartford chapter.

"I have six vice presidents and each has several program managers so there's a

lot of help," Mr Seaman said. "The Jaycees has had a very good increase in

membership in Connecticut. There are about 1,500 chapters in the United States

and there are chapters all over the world."

Mr Seaman will represent Connecticut at the Jaycees' World Congress which will

be held in Honolulu in November.

For information about the Jaycees, Bill Seaman can be reached at 270-8605.

Bill Hurley (270-7145) is the president of the Newtown chapter which meets on

the third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm at the legal office of Hall and

Savarese, 43 Main Street.