Much is proud to announce that Jeff Schwartz and Shelton Watson have been honored with the 2022 David T. Brown Community Service Award. Jeff, chair of the Restructuring, Insolvency & Special Situations group, and Shelton, network administrator on the Information Technology team, were recognized for their personal dedication to social responsibility.
Every year, one attorney and one staff member receive the award, which was created to honor Co-Chairman David Brown’s commitment to community service. Much also makes a monetary donation to each recipient’s respective charitable organization of choice.
Jeff was recognized for his work with Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE), a nonprofit that prepares high school students for college and beyond by teaching them about the importance of financial literacy and the consequences of credit abuse. In his 18 years with CARE, Jeff has made close to 100 presentations to high schools in Illinois and presented to well over 1,500 students.
“If I can reach just one student in each classroom and help them make better financial decisions down the road, then I know I’ve made a real-world difference,” Jeff said. “David Brown is such a pillar for doing good, and social responsibility is one of the most important things a firm can do, so I am honored to receive this award.”
Shelton was recognized for his work with One Roof Chicago, an organization that builds intergenerational housing for members of the LGBTQ+ community, including seniors and older adults living with HIV, as well as supportive housing for LGBTQ+ youth. One Roof Chicago was incepted only a couple of years ago, but it was far from the beginning for Shelton.
“I’ve been involved in activism for the LGBTQ+ community since 1993, but I’ve been thinking about housing needs since the start of the HIV epidemic in the 80s,” Shelton said. “It was very humbling to receive this award.”