Lincoln Schoff was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1950 and grew up in Philadelphia. He graduated from Germantown Academy in Philadelphia in 1968, and from Amherst College in 1972 with a B.A. in political science. At Amherst, he played football and was an active member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. In 1977, Linc graduated from Wharton with an MBA and started a corporate banking career in Boston with The First National Bank of Boston, where he worked for 10 years before being transferred to Stamford, CT and buying his current home in Darien in 1987. Linc continued his banking career thru the industry’s various mergers, concluding a 13 year stint with Bank of America with his retirement in April 2020.

Linc and his wife of 41 years Meredith have three children that went thru the Darien school system from start to finish, all of whom live and work in the metro NY area, plus three grandchildren living in Rowayton, CT. Linc is a past member of the Middlesex Club and the Silvermine Golf Club and a past elder of Noroton Presbyterian Church. He enjoys golf, tennis, bicycling, travel and spending time with his family.

Sponsored by Ed Sweeney

As CEO of  D Campbell & Associates LLC/The Success Coach (www.thesuccesscoach.com), Doug and his team  work with business owners to accelerate growth, build strong management teams, and plan for a business exit or succession. Previously Doug started 5 businesses, served as Marketing Director for a Fortune 100 with 23 locations nationwide, and was an undergraduate and MBA business professor.

He is a member of the National Speakers Association and the International Coaches Federation. He has written 2 books including Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Business and Your Career. Doug has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Bottom Line Business, Investor’s Business Daily and on Cablevision.

He is an Entrepreneur in Residence for Ferguson Library in Stamford, works with Connecticut Innovations on growing and funding businesses in CT, is a Small Business Expert for Wells Fargo Bank and is a member of the Braintrust for Jim Blasingame’s Small Business National Radio Network. He speaks frequently to trade associations, companies and organizations, and writes on business and entrepreneurship topics.

His non profit roles, past and present, include the Fairfield County Microenterprise Investors’ Council , Darien Land Trust,  Darien Chamber of Commerce, Community Health Charities, The Hotchkiss School Alumnae Board of Governors, Angel Investor Forum, and as an Elder for Noroton Presbyterian Church . Doug grew up in Michigan and lives with his wife, Gwynne in Stamford CT. Mr. Campbell graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Spanish/International Relations from the University of New Hampshire and received his MBA from UVA Darden.

Charles Hurty was born in 1943 in Wichita, Kans., and attended Southeast High School there. In 1965 he graduated from Kansas University with highest distinction with a BA degree. He belonged to SAE fraternity and participated in intramural sports. After graduation he worked about a year as Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y. before answering the call of Uncle Sam. He joined the army as a 2nd Lt in artillery. After serving in Korea, he was discharged in 1968 and joined KPMG in its Dallas office. He transferred to New York City in 1979 and in 1985 was assigned to South Florida where he established an office at West Palm Beach and was made a partner in KPMP Audit Practice in South Florida. He was transferred back to New York City in 1993 and retired in 2001. Since that time, he has served on the board of directors of four different mutual fund complexes and hedge funds and assisted in the establishment and operation of a doggy daycare business, Bandilane Canine Center, in Stamford, CT.

Charles and his wife Jeanne live in Darien and have four sons and eight grandchildren. He belongs to the Darien Boat Club, Tokeneke Country Club, Wee Burn Country Club, Saint Luke’s Church, the Greenwich Kennel Club and the PBGV Club of America. For hobbies, Charles enjoys golf, fishing (catching) with grandkids, guitar and piano, and showing dogs —  which he has done for the past 20 years.

Sponsored by Brian Hooper 

Albert Briganti was born in 1946 in Port Chester, N.Y. and grew up in the Westchester County area. He graduated in 1964 from Stepinac High School in White Plains. In 1968 he received a BA in Philosophy from Saint Joseph’s Seminary and, in 1971, a Masters degree from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism where he has also served as an adjunct professor. He retired in 2016 after a 40 year career with CBS News where he covered events in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the near reactor melt down at Three Mile Island, and several presidential campaigns. He was part of the team that created the long running program 48 HOURS, where he was Executive Editor. He remains active as a documentary film maker.

Al and his wife Karen live in Darien. They have grown twin sons and one grandchild. He belongs to the Tokeneke Club and Saint Luke’s Church and frequently travels to Cuba for the work the church does there. In his free time, he likes to engage in gardening, tennis, learning Spanish and doing the daily NY Times crossword puzzle.

Sponsored by John Bassler

Michael Harte was born and grew up in County Leitrim, Ireland, and emigrated to the USA in 1963. He lived in the Bronx, N.Y. while attending Roosevelt High School and Lehman Collage. He served in the NY National Guard from 1964 thru 1970 while simultaneously working for Consolidated Edison Co. where he continued working until 2012 in their Construction Management on various power projects within the service area.
Michael and his wife Eileen moved to Darien in 1979. They have two sons and five grandchildren. He belongs to the Irish American Club in Fairfield and in his leisure time he enjoys travel, reading history, beekeeping and handiwork. He is a volunteer at the wood shop at the Darien Senior Center and with the Boy Scouts.

Sponsored by Thomas Williams

Richard Kelsey was born in 1941 in Joliet, Ill., and grew up in Joliet and Osage, Iowa. He graduated from Osage Community High School. Dick was awarded a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University in 1964 and an MBA from the University of Denver in 1973.

On graduating from Marquette, Dick joined the Peace Corp in Ecuador as a construction engineer until 1967. Returning stateside, he joined Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee, Wis. as an Industrial equipment application engineer. He joined American Appraisal Co. in 1967 as a machinery appraiser where he remained until 2008 in their New York office as Area Manager, Executive Officer & Stockholder. From 2010 until the present he has been President of Paragon Business Valuation Services.

Dick has lived in Darien with his wife Beverly Fisk since 1987 and they have one son. He has been a SCORE mentor since 2009, belongs to the Darien Chamber of Commerce (Board Chairman 2012) and enjoys golf.

Sponsored by Gary Banks

A member of DMA and a Darien resident for 35 years, David Fitzpatrick is currently a Staff Writer for CNN’s flagship prime time newscast,  “Anderson Cooper 360.”   Fitzpatrick has been at CNN as an anchor producer, senior executive producer and investigative producer since 2001, with the exception of a year sabbatical in 2017.

Prior to joining CNN, he spent 25 years at CBS News in a variety of editorial positions, including service as a producer in the network’s Washington, Los Angeles and London Bureaus.  He has also served as the network’s Bureau Chief in Chicago and later, National Editor.   He joined the CBS Evening News as a producer in the late 1980s and subsequently joined “60 Minutes” as a producer attached to the late Morley Safer.   He also was a producer for two other CBS News newsmagazines, “Eye to Eye With Connie Chung” and “Public Eye With Bryant Gumbel.”  Upon leaving CBS News in 1998, he joined the staff of the ABC News prime time newsmagazine “20/20.”

During his career, he has worked for CBS News, ABC News and CNN on assignment across the world, including time in Iran during the hostage crisis, in Poland during the Solidarity uprising, throughout the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America.   He’s also been assigned to work in New Orleans during the Katrina disaster, in Indonesia for the devastating tsunamis of 2004/05 and in Malaysia for the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

He and his wife Adria Bates have three adult children, now scattered throughout the United States.

Christopher Phillips was born in 1954 in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in Syosset, NY. He graduated from Westford Academy in Westford, Mass. and in 1976 received a BSCE Civil Engineering Structural Analysis degree from Tufts University. While there he was also active in Lacrosse, Football and Rugby. In 1978 he received an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan where he was active in Lacrosse,  His business career began with Baker Companies as VP Development and Construction in Pleasantville, N.Y. This involved multifamily development and construction. In 1989 until the present Chris became President of Artisans Home Builders, Inc. in Rowayton doing development and construction of custom-built homes.

Chris and his wife Donna live in Darien and have two children and five grandchildren. He is a member and President), Mountain Lake Golf Club, Lake Wales, Fla., and former member of the Tokeneke Club. His hobbies include golf, tennis and painting.

Sponsored by Ed Sweeney

Paul Steinborn was born in New York, N.Y. in 1955 and grew up in the Bronx and in Larchmont, N.Y. He graduated from Salesian High School in New Rochelle, N.Y. He graduated from Marist College in 1977 with a BA in economics/finance; Pace University in 1983 with an MBA. He earned a CFA in 1988 and an AEMT in 2014. Paul started his career at Salomon Brothers as an analyst, then became a currency trader/salesperson heading various FX desks.  He transitioned into an Investment Banker for developing banking related funds management. Currently, he is “trading my own book”.

Paul and his wife Regina Degnan live in Darien and have three children all living in the Darien area. Paul is an active sailboat racer

and cruiser and is a member of the Noroton YC, and Christmans Golf Club in Windham, N.Y. Paul’s hobbies include sailboat racing, golf, snow shoeing and skiing.

Sponsored by Ed Sweeney

RichardF. Poli, who grew up in Watertown.  New York, graduated from Providence College in 1965 with a BA in History. After earning an MBA from Bowling Green University, Dick joined GTE Service Corporation. His work experience includes Crum & Foster Insurance, National Reinsurance and Mutual Marine Office.

Dick and his wife Maureen have lived in Darien since 1985, raising three sons. Keith works for Constellation New Energy and resides in Baltimore. Edward is a fire-fighter in the Bronx and Ken is currently completing his MBA at Sacred Heart University.

With two sons having become Eagle Scouts, Dick has been actively involved in scouting for 12 years, including being Treasurer for Boy Scout Troop 53. He is currently an RTM member for District 6, Unit Commissioner for Boy Scout Troop 53

Jan H. Van Nierop, who grew up in the Netherlands, came to the U.S. in 1965 after receiving a college degree in graphic arts. In New York City he entered a family-owned export business that acted as a purchasing agent for factories, utilities and contractors in Europe and Latin America. Jan met his wife Martha, got married in 1970, and in 1973 they moved to Darien.

When his boss retired Jan took over the company and moved it to Stamford where he began importing electronic connectors for computers and cables from Germany. Aided by wife Martha, he now runs a strictly export business from their home. Jan and Martha have two children, Daniel born in 1974. and Emily, born in 1976.

Alexander Y. P. Garnett (Alex) grew up in Greenwich and graduated from Brunswick School and later Norwich University with an English Degree. He was commissioned a 2 Lieutenant in the US Amy in 1968. Prior to entering the service, he joined Aetna Life & Casualty in their employee benefit-training program. After military duty Alex rejoined Aetna and spent 22 years in a variety of sales, account executive and director level positions, including two years heading up Aetna’s London office. After he left Aetna, Alex worked another twenty years with a variety of health care companies in sales, marketing and management positions. He retired 2010.

Alex and his wife Dona have lived in Darien since 1976, have raised three boys and have two grandchildren.  Alex enjoys genealogy, theatre, paddle tennis and golf.