Month: March 2019 (Page 2 of 2)

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Erik Ofgang will share the story of William Gillette and the ways in which the Hartford actor’s life became entangled with the development of literature’s most famous detective. He also will examine how the eccentric Gillette decided to build a castle overlooking the Connecticut River. Erik is an award-winning writer, musician and magician whose work has appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers throughout the country, including the Associated Press, the Hartford Courant and Connecticut Magazine, where he is a senior writer. Erik is the author of “Buzzed: Beers, Booze & Coffee Brews, Where to Enjoy the Best Craft Beverages in New England,” “Gillette Castle: A History” and the forthcoming “The Good Vices.” He teaches writing and journalism at Western Connecticut State University’s MFA writing program and at Mercy College. When he’s not writing, he can be found playing bass with the Celtic roots band MacTalla Mor. He lives in western Connecticut with his wife Corinne. Arranged by Gehr Brown

Video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eieyMUzxOEk

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Jim Smith and Robert Patricelli will speak about the Connecticut Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth

(FSEG). Connecticut’s revenues are not keeping pace with spending commitments. Our population has not grown since 1990, and private sector jobs are fewer today than a decade ago due to the high cost of doing business here and unfriendly tax climate, aging infrastructure and transportation issues. The new  administration is faced with a $2 billion deficit due to overspending in the past and pension shortfall in state employee and teacher pension funds. What new taxes and belt tightening the committee will eventually recommend will evolve over the next months. Jim is chairman of the Board of Webster Financial Corporation and, until recently, served as vice chairman of the Midsize Banks Coalition of America. He served as a member of the Federal Advisory Council, which advises the deliberations of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He is actively engaged in community service and supports numerous civic organizations. Bob has spent more than 50 years in leadership roles in the health care industry and in public service. His business life began in health care in 1987 at Connecticut General Corporation and its successor Cigna Corporation. In 1997, he left Cigna to begin a 20-year career as an entrepreneur, founding several companies. His public service started fresh out of law school as a White House Fellow, followed by numerous roles in Washington, D.C., and Hartford. Bob most recently served as co-chair of the FSEG, appointed by Gov. Malloy in 2017. He has served on the Board of Directors for five organizations. He grew up in Hartford, attended Wesleyan University and Harvard Law School, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Paris. Arranged by John Schlachtenhaufen

Video of their presentation: https://youtu.be/xosAOE0dDtA

Bob Patricelli’s slides: https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/Patricelli-Lamont-Budget-Comments-Final-030819.pdf

Jim Smith’s slides: https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/PACT-Slides-for-JSmithv1-ch-6-for-03-13-2019-without-notes.pdf

Homework that will help get the most from the speakers:

Lamont’s Budget presentation.

https://dariendma.org//wp-content/uploads/Gov-Lamont-FY20-FY21-Budget-Presentation-2-20-19.pdf

https://ct-n.com/ondemand.asp?ID=16045

Fiscal Stability Commission Report 2.0

https://www.cga.ct.gov/fin/tfs/20171205_Commission%20on%20Fiscal%20Stability%20and%20Economic%20Growth/20181128/Report%202.0%2011.26.18.pdf

Jim Lewis will speak on McDonald’s advertising program and future plans. Jim has been in the  McDonald's system since 1986 and an owner/operator since 1993. He currently owns 17 restaurants in Manhattan and Queens, including the famous Times Square and 42nd Street McDonald’s. Jim began his career as an account executive with Michigan Bell Telephone in 1981. After that, he worked as a sales manager for AT&T in Southfield, Mich. He has a B.A. degree in marketing from Michigan State University. He was a member of Sigma Nu and served as the fraternity's first president when it returned to campus in 1978. He served as president of the Inter-fraternity Council for Michigan State University. Jim is married to Kimberly Lewis, and they have three children. The family lives in Darien.

Arranged by Tom Lom

Video of his presentation: https://youtu.be/i0SQ2GFsdpA