A strong advocate of academic rigor and excellence.
Joseph Kacirek has invested significant time, talent and treasure into building successful
students. Joe retired as vice principal at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in
Woodbridge, N.J., but that doesn't stop him from interacting with students.
Joe, who received his M.A. in history from Seton Hall in 1981, continues to make his presence known on campus as a representative of the University's Admission Resource Program, a mentor, and an avid fan of several Pirate sports teams. In appreciation of his extraordinary efforts as a volunteer, Joe received the 2017 Many Are One Alumni Impact Award.
A strong advocate of academic rigor and excellence, he is a staunch believer in a liberal arts education. For that reason, he named Seton Hall as the beneficiary of his Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to establish the Kacirek-Klement Memorial Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship is the legacy he wants to leave in loving memory of his parents, Doris and Joe Kacirek, and his aunt and uncle, Evelyn and George Klement.
When Joe turned 70 years and six months, he decided he wanted to see the scholarship funded during his lifetime. With the assistance of Gift Planning staff member Joe Guasconi, he started making current gifts to his scholarship with direct transfers from his IRA, which also satisfied his required minimum distributions for the year and reduced the amount of income taxes he would otherwise have to pay.
At a Glance: Retirement Accounts
- Contact the plan custodian for a beneficiary designation form.
- Designate Seton Hall University to receive all or a portion of the assets held in the retirement plan.
- Avoid the potential double taxation your retirement savings would face if you designated these savings to your heirs.
- Continue to take regular lifetime withdrawals.
- Maintain flexibility to change designation if your family's needs change during your lifetime.