The ETV Endowment Remembers Rachel Chesser, Director of Planned Giving
The ETV Endowment of South Carolina mourns the loss of our beloved colleague and friend, Rachel Chesser. Rachel, the Endowment's Director of Planned Giving, passed away on January 25th after a valiant battle with cancer.
Rachel joined the ETV Endowment of South Carolina in 2016 and served as the Development Associate and Planned Giving Officer before becoming the Director of Planned Giving in 2019. In her role, Rachel visited with donors from around the state to assist them in their plans to support the programs of South Carolina ETV and South Carolina Public Radio. You could often hear her calm yet cheerful voice on SC Public Radio discussing resources and opportunities for estate planning. During her tenure, Rachel served on the board of the South Carolina Planned Giving Council and achieved the prestigious Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification.
An avid public media fan, Rachel was known for her infectious laugh, warm demeanor and genuine connections with donors. In this role, she made many life-long friends across the state, who were happy to meet for lunch and a good chat about shared interests, be it quilting, textiles, history, politics, hound rescue or, of course, public media. A self-proclaimed PBS and NPR nerd, Rachel could spend hours talking about the latest programs on SCETV and SC Public Radio and loved meeting with those who shared her enthusiasm. In her role as Director of Planned Giving, Rachel was committed to helping South Carolinians make their estate plans, knowing that her work helped our members achieve their legacy goals while securing a solid future for the local and national programming she loved so much.
Rachel will be remembered for her many contributions to the ETV Endowment, including her expertise in planning events, connecting with our members and engaging communities across our state with exceptional programming. Rachel is survived by her husband, two children, mother, sister and a legion of friends and fans.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rachel Chesser. Rachel was an incredible member of the ETV Endowment team who had a remarkable ability to connect deeply with our donors; her care and enthusiasm are unrivaled. We are grateful for the time she worked with us and are committed to continuing her legacy of service to our donors." – ETV Endowment of South Carolina Executive Director Coby Cartrette Hennecy