Born 1940 in Fenton MI.  Awarded BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University 1962.  Started career in General Electric’s Manufacturing Management Training Program 1965.  Went on to International Sales &  Marketing at Shipley Co in Newton, MA.

Elected to American Society of Electroplated Plastics trade association President & Hall of Fame. Published multiple technical articles including: Society Automotive Engineers, Interference Control, Products Finishing, Society of Plastics Engineering.

Edwin J. Sweeney was born in Weymouth, Mass., in 1949 and grew up in Hingham, Mass. He graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Mass., in 1967 and was active on the hockey team for four years. He graduated from St. Anselms College in Manchester, N.H., with a B.A. and the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in civil engineering in 1972. At Notre Dame, he participated in varsity sailing. He received an M.S. in civil engineering in 1974 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a registered professional engineer in Connecticut and California. His working career started as a consulting engineer for Carollo Engineers in Walnut Creek, Calif., in 1974. He joined Dorr Oliver in 1977 as a sales engineer for industrial filtration products and in 1989 became vice president of sales for water and wastewater filtration systems for Dorr Oliver Environmental Systems. In 1989, he joined Krauss Maffei Corp (Munich & Rowayton) as sales manager of industrial filtration and in 2007 was with Flottweg Separation Technology (Munich & Rowayton) as industry manager of filtration systems for petro chemical and mineral processing. Ed and his wife Vivian of 39 years live in New Canaan and have two sons, one living in Darien and the other in London. Ed is a past commodore of Noroton Yacht Club, past president of the Darien Winter Club, member of Silvermine Golf Club, New Canaan Men’s Club and former member of the Darien Environmental Protection Commission. For hobbies, Ed is an active competitive sailor, likes golfing and is an avid Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Notre Dame fan.

Little Rock Ed Barksdale was born in Little Rock, Ark., in 1945 and grew up in Atlanta, Ga. He graduated from W.F. Dykes High School in 1963, where he was active in student government. Ed graduated from Duke University in 1966 with a B.A. in economics and from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with an M.B.A. in finance. Upon graduation, Ed joined General Dynamics in New York as a pension officer; in 1969, he joined Mitchum, Jones and Templeton, which later became Callan Associates, in San Francisco, as performance measurement and investment manager, tracking staff and systems. He returned to New York as a pension and investment consultant to institutional investors with Dreher Rogers. In 1976, Ed joined Rogers, Casey and Barksdale in Stamford, working with institutional clients and managing technical staff and systems. His division was purchased by Northern Trust of Chicago in 1995, and Ed became president and CEO of Northern Trust Global Advisors and Northern Trust of Connecticut. In 2000, Ed was co-founder of Federal Street Partners in Stamford, where he created pooled vehicles focused on alternatives, primarily hedge funds. In 2018, the firm downsized, focusing on partner capital and advice to a few long-time clients. Ed and his wife Joan have three children (living in Tokyo; Freeport, Maine; and Missoula, Mo.). He belongs to the Tokeneke Club, Wee Burn Country Club, Noroton Yacht Club, Campfire Club and Lost Tree Club. He enjoys boating in the summer and skiing in the winter. Sponsored by Gene Markowski.

Don Loomis was born in Miami, Fla., in 1946. He grew up at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, United Kingdom. He graduated from Fairfield Prep in 1964, where he was active on the cross-country team. He graduated from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1968, where he rowed lightweight crew. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1974 aboard a destroyer escort based in Naples, Italy (where he met his wife). In 1971, he became sports editor of the English language daily paper The Rome Daily American. Upon returning to the States, he worked at Fisher International, located in Norwalk, Conn., in consulting and market research on the paper industry. He assisted in constructing the company’s worldwide database covering 3,560 mills on all five continents. Ron and his wife Daniela live in Darien and have one daughter (Navy JAG officer stationed in Washington, D.C.) and three grandchildren. He belongs to the Norwalk River Rowing Association and St. John’s Choir. For leisure, he enjoys rowing, skiing, travel and languages. Sponsored by Dieter Bruhn.

George Gilliam was born on August 14, 1944 in Brooklyn, NY, though his time as a Brooklynite was short-lived: his family moved to New Hyde Park, NY, when his father returned from WWII in 1946.

George graduated from the University of Dayton (Go Flyers!) with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1966, and began his sales career with U.S. Plywood in Albany, NY.  In the mid 80’s, George established his own sales agency, representing numerous building material manufacturers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. He retired from a long and satisfying career in December 2014.

George met Diane Tapley, the love of his life, while working at the New York World’s Fair during the summer of 1964. She was – and still is – the prettiest woman he’d ever seen, and he was somehow able to sweep her off her feet and convince her to marry him.

Fifty-two years later, George and Diane have two children: Drew, who works for Ring’s End in Darien, and Katy, who is a New York Times bestselling author. Katy is also the mother of Henry and Callie, George’s two terrific grandchildren, whom Katy and her husband are raising in nearby Ridgefield.

After spending 35 years in Darien, George moved to Norwalk, where he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, in addition to playing golf, bridge, bowling and taking long walks with Diane.

George became a proud member of the DMA in 2014, and is currently the chairman of DMA Cares, which makes the weekly announcements regarding the well-being of our members.

Born (1937and Educated in South Africa with a BA Business degree.
Lived in England for five years then returned to Cape Town SA before moving to Darien with PepsiCo International in 1977. Extensive world travel focused on Marketing and later Executive Training.
Wife Sandy and he live in Darien and have a vacation house in
the British Virgin Islands. They have six children between
them, three now living in England and three in either
Washington DC or Boulder CO.
Chris competed in US Senior Olympics Track and Field events
for seven years at a state and national level. He enjoys golf,
tennis and painting in oils.
Since retiring in 2001 –
-He has written a world history book for 12 year olds,
“Famous Lives” which includes 300 illustrations by him.
-Been very active in local nature conservation with the Darien
Land Trust and Friends of Selleck’s Woods, both of which he
headed as President.
– Other board positions have been with A Better Chance in
Darien, Creative Connections , The Darien Community
Association (and its Bird Sanctuary) and DMA

Bob Plunkett was born in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1962 and grew up in River Hills, Wis. He graduated from University School of Milwaukee in 1980, where he was active in track and field, cross country and the chess club. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in economics in 1984, where he was on the cross-country team and participated in some marathon running. Bob continued his studies at Cornell, where he received his M.B.A. from the Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1988 while also working with the Old Ezra Investment Club and the hockey team. His work history began in 1988 with Metropolitan Life in New York City in investments. In 1995, he relocated to Stamford with GE Asset Management and in 2016 joined JPMorgan Chase in Fairfield in relationship banking. Bob and his wife Karen live in Darien and have four children, two living nearby, one in college and one in high school. He is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Stamford, served on the board and was vice president of investments on the executive board of the Darien Nature Center. He is a former member of the Noroton Yacht Club and Middlesex Club, and served as tribal chief of the Darien YMCA Guides. For leisure, Bob enjoys travel, reading, investments and hiking. Sponsored by Bryan Hooper.

Frank DeLeo was born in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., in 1952 and grew up in Greenwich. He graduated from Greenwich High School in 1970, where he was active in baseball, student government, the service club, chorus and the youth church organization. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1974 with a B.A. in psychology. He was a University Scholar, invited to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, and was active in intramural sports. He graduated from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in 1976 with an M.B.A. in marketing and was awarded the Colgate-Palmolive Fellow Degree with Distinction. In 1976, he began working at General Foods in White Plains involved with product management. He continued in product and brand management marketing and product development for companies in consumer provider businesses such as Clairol, Cadbury Schweppes, Bath & Body Works, Eddie Bauer and Hallmark Cards until retiring in 2018. Frank and his wife Patti of 44 years live in West Norwalk and have three children and six grandchildren living nearby. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Rangers, as well as both the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams. His hobbies include golf, tennis, reading, crossword puzzles, guitar playing, water sports, skiing, and family water destinations for vacations (Nantucket, the Caribbean and Florida). Sponsored by Gerrit Lydecker.

Born September 1935 in Chicago, Jim grew up in Highland Park, IL. He graduated from DePauw University in 1957 with a BA in Economics-including a semester @ American U. seeing the government in action.  He was on the Golf Team and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

His work experience began with Union Carbide selling their consumer products in TX and Midwest, followed by a stint as a Media Buyer and Account Exec at Leo Burnett, ad agency in Chicago.

He spent the next 32 years in Broadcasting Advertising sales with Katz and Blair Television in their Chicago offices transferring to Blair’s New York office in 1971.  He held various sales management positions at Blair retiring in 1995 as Sr. VP new business.  During those years he had major interaction with most every major US network and television station group that provided an opportunity to be successfully involved in the TV station brokerage business as President-Television of Kepper, Tupper and Company of CT from 1995-2017.  He also is managing trustee of a family farm in Sullivan Co. IN since 2004.

Jim married his wife Elizabeth (Betsy) Phelps, also from Highland Park IL, in October 1958-they are looking forward to celebrating their 65th anniversary next month.

The family moved to Darien in 1971 and he and Betsy have remained in town since then.  Their two daughters and their families now reside in Cohasset, MA and Cumberland Foreside, ME.  Their son and his wife live in Manhattan.  All 3 went to Darien schools thru High school.  They have 5 grandchildren-2 boys and 3 girls and a 1-1/2 year old great grandson.  The 3 eldest are through college and working, the youngest granddaughter is a junior in college.  Their other grandson is successfully involved in a special needs program in the Portland ME area.

Besides enjoying the golf, special events, investment group and other programs DMA offers, Jim is a member of Noroton Presbyterian Church, Woodway Country Club, various area senior golf, tennis and paddle groups.  Other interests include volunteering, fitness, jazz and being an ardent sports fan-still heavily tilted to rooting for his favorite Chicago teams.