Meet our Heritage Society Members
Meet our Heritage Society Members
Brent J. Morrison ’11
Webb was the only place I wanted to go. I loved naval architecture, New York, and studying. Free tuition was compelling because I had already taken an expensive degree. I often marvel at how lucky I’ve been to get into Webb, to make great friends there, to make it through the program, and to land the dream job at Glosten that I have today.
I joined the Heritage Society in 2014 as part of a long-overdue financial makeover. It was spurred in part by the death of a relative and the role that I took in settling her estate. I realized that if I died suddenly, I’d leave behind a mess that didn’t represent my priorities. I made several changes to address my goals and my tolerance for risk.
In terms of managing risk, I want to give aggressively to Webb annually because the money is needed and my gifts are generously matched by Glosten. But I also need to save for all the good and bad events that might happen in my life. By including Webb in my estate plan, I can give sensibly now while ensuring that Webb will get some of the money that I don’t end up spending on life’s good and bad surprises. That’s my impression of what the Townes did, and I admire them deeply for that.
In terms of reaching goals, I’d like to see Webb continue to offer the best degree in the business, for free, in modern facilities in Glen Cove, while drawing sustainably on its endowment. We can’t reach that goal without alumni making both annual and planned gifts.
It’s so important for young alumni to be proactive about financial planning, because a little bit of effort now could make a difference of millions of dollars by the time they retire. Estate planning is an integral part of financial planning. Why put it off? It was really fun to think about how much I could do for others with the resources that I might not need in my lifetime.