The children of Florence and Laurence Spungen serve as trustees of our family foundation, shepherding our founders’ vision and encouraging the next generation to engage in philanthropy and give back to their communities.

Carol Spungen

Carol was the founding (volunteer) executive director and currently serves as board chair. She is the oldest of the Spungen children, born in New York, but raised in Chicago. Carol attended the University of Illinois and Brandeis University as an undergraduate, and then received a Master’s In Social Work from the Smith College School for Social Work in 1977. Carol continues to keep her license as a Clinical Social Worker active. During her professional employment, lasting over 25 years, she focused extensively on mental health as well as medical issues, with an expertise on the psychosocial impact of cancer and other chronic and life threatening illnesses on individuals and their families. Since leaving her paid employment, she has been involved in a variety of volunteer positions in the Santa Barbara, CA community. Recently widowed, Carol was married for 33 years. She has two surviving stepchildren and 6 grandchildren.

Danny Spungen

Danny literally grew up in the industrial ball bearing and chain industry. Danny, a family historian is a big investor in people and things. Through extensive schooling and traveling, he gathered and learned a little bit about a lot of collectibles. A big exception began in June 2007 when by chance he stumbled upon a rare WWII postal history exhibit, a study of the Holocaust told through letters and other related documents. Danny became a student for life, devoting a large amount of time exhibiting the “witnesses” and facilitating discussions all over the world about genocides and humanity itself. Danny is not one that likes to spend time alone. He and his wife Natalie raised two children and had 11 Rotary International Exchange Students. Their home in the Chicago area is a well-known home-away-from-home for many and Danny’s best reward is linking together customers, family and friends using his hobbies and other passions as a conduit.

Debbi Spungen

Debbi is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied Psychology and Social Work. She then worked at Peer Bearing Co for 25 years as VP of Operations. At the same time she was a single mother to her daughter Melissa, who also graduated from Madison. Debbi is a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation and involved in the education of Genetic Testing. She has also been the family caregiver for her parents and understands the need for support in this field. She has studied the Holocaust through the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. Today, Debbi splits her time between Illinois and California as she likes to volunteer for organizations which the Foundation funds. Her personal philanthropic interests are mental wellness and health related issues.

Glenn Spungen

Glenn is the youngest of the four trustees and is President of PEER Chain, located in Waukegan, IL. Prior to that, he worked 27 years at PEER Bearing, alongside his grandfather, father, brother, sister, cousins, and 1400 dedicated employees. His specialty was (and still is) sales and operations. When he was younger, Glenn was a caddie, checker at grocery store, and a vendor at Wrigley Field, Comiskey Park, and Soldier Field. He attended Indiana University and graduated from the Kelley School of Business with a degree in Management & Organizations. Glenn is also an alumni of the Semester at Sea program which he participated in during his junior year in college. Glenn and his wife of 26 years have three children. He enjoys traveling, attending sporting events & musical concerts.