Ed Sellers, Roy Kramer, Deidre Davis (Habitat home owner), and Donna Thorne pose with a the BlueCross birdhouse.

Central SC Habitat for Humanity honored BlueCross BlueShield as 2005 Corporate Citizen of the Year. The reception on the Meridian roof, part of the Nelson Mullins domain, was Tuesday at 6 pm. Ed Sellers, CEO and chairman of the board of SC BlueCross BlueShield, accepted the award.

Sellers joined BlueCross BlueShield of SC as president and COO in 1987. He became CEO in 1992 and chairman of the board in 2001. Previous to that, he worked at the BlueCross BlueShield Association in Chicago, Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Pittsburgh, and the Boston Consulting Group. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt and holds an MBA from Harvard.

Sam Tenenbaum, Habitat board Sellers has served on numerous boards and committees benefitting charities, business policy groups, and state government. Under his leadership, BlueCross has become one of the biggest corporate benefactors in SC.

Since 1993, BlueCross has donated over $250,000 to Central SC Habitat for Humanity, and its employees have participated in the building of five houses. The association began when Sellers read Habitat was out of money. He had a $5,000 check cut and delivered to Habitat that day. The company also has funded houses in Florence and Myrtle Beach.

Donna Thorne, Patricia Osborne (Habitat homeowner), and George Cauthen, Nelson Mullins. Since 1985, Central SC Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 170 families fulfill the dream of home ownership in Richland and Lexington counties. Pairing volunteer labor with financial and material donations, the organization builds affordable housing for low–income families, while fostering a sense of self–reliance and success.

To qualify, families make an affordable down payment, contribute 350– 500 hours of “sweat equity” into their own homes, and demonstrate an ability to pay a 25–year, no interest mortgage. Recipients also attend monthly home management skills classes, in addition to intensive financial management workshops.

BlueCross employee Donna Thorne serves on the board of directors of the Central SC Habitat for Humanity. She and Habitat Executive Director Roy Kramer managed the rooftop ceremonies, where Habitat gave Sellers and BlueCross a commemorative bird house.