Category: Speaker Announcements (Page 1 of 24)

Creating the New LaGuardia Airport

“If I took you and blindfolded you and took you to LaGuardia Airport in New York, you’d think, I must be in some third-world country.”  Vice President Biden, Feb 2014.

Well, LaGuardia Airport is now far from the disaster it once was. DMA member Dan Kolakowski and Steve Aspden, construction Project Directors on both Terminal B (Central Terminal) and Terminal C (Delta) at LaGuardia, will be discussing both the design and construction processes from 2016 through today. Why do the terminals function the way they do? How did it all get constructed while keeping the airport functioning with their full flight schedules? What was the impact of COVID on the project?   Those questions and more will be answered in this “The New LaGuardia Airport” presentation.

Steve Aspden is a Global Construction Executive with 44 years’ experience leading the development of major aviation, roadway and infrastructure projects, as well as commercial and hospital projects around the world. Throughout his career, Steve has led as Project Executive on internationally recognized projects including the A1 motorway in Poland, Mater Dei Hospital on Malta, Apple Park (Apple HQ) in Cupertino, CA, The United Nations Headquarters in NYC, LaGuardia Airport Terminal B and LaGuardia Airport Terminal C, accounting for more than $20 billion in project oversight.

Video Presentation

Understanding Charter Schools

DMA member Cliff van Voorhees and LION Charter School CEO Celia Sosa will help us understand Charter Schools, in general, and the how it works at LION, as a specific example. They’ll address general questions like:  do they suck money from public schools; why do unions oppose them; how are they different from district public schools; are they effective; and, should they be encouraged. Then they’ll discuss specific challenges and conflicts faced by LION including: conflicts with other public schools with which they shared a building; teacher and student recruitment; college readiness and applications; impact on the local community; and alumni experience in college. And they’ll answer questions about anything else you might like to ask!

The relevant parts of Cliff van Voorhees’ bio start when he was a student at Columbia Business School. At that time, he became a Big Brother to a 12-year-old boy from Harlem and spent many hours with him over a three-year period. After graduating from Columbia, Cliff went to work for the Interracial Council for Business Opportunity in the Teresa Towers on 125^th Street and Seventh Avenue, where he helped minority entrepreneurs raise financing for their businesses. When doing that work, he concluded that what was needed most in the community was better schools. Fast forward through 25 years in international banking with stints in Nigeria and England and four years with Instinet Fixed Income, an electronic broker, he found the opportunity to actually do something to address the lack of educational opportunity in the inner cities of New York. On a fulltime basis, he headed up a team of part time contributors to prepare an 800 page application for a charter to run a public school in the South Bronx. After that 2 year application process, a charter was awarded and Cliff became the school’s COO, tending to facilities, transportation, HR, accounting and finance, fund raising and many other aspects of the school. He retired from Hyde Leadership Charter School after serving in the school for about 6 years.

Celia Sosa serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Leaders In Our Neighborhood (LION) Charter School. She began her work at LION in 2007 as a history teacher, which was followed by 12 years of service as the High School Director. She participated in the Charter Center’s Principal Support Network and was awarded an Emerging Leader Fellowship in 2009. During her time at LION, she has been involved in developing curriculum, chairing the social studies department, and many extracurricular activities. Some of these activities included developing and organizing the Dynamics of Difference Committee, student interview panels, wilderness trips, and coaching the school’s track team.

Before joining LION, Celia worked as a teacher at The Lorge School and The Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women. At each organization, she took on leadership roles becoming a Director of School Culture and Dean of Students. Additionally, while at Binghamton University, Celia was a co-founder of the local chapter of INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Binghamton University and was awarded the Clifford D. Clark Fellowship for work on her master’s degree. She received a second master’s degree in education with a concentration in adolescent social studies from Pace University. Celia was a 2005 Teach For America corps member.

Speaker Summary

Cliff and Celia made an enlightening presentation on charter schools, in general, and told the story of the creation and success of the LION school as a powerful proof point of the difference an effective charter school can make for its students and school community.

Cliff opened by explaining what charter schools are and how they get established through the state application process. He answered some basic questions regarding their role in public education, impact on public school funding, differences versus other public schools, why there is resistance to them among teacher unions, and their effectiveness. He explained that charter schools are established by state laws that vary by state — they aren’t even allowed in some states. The primary reason for their existence  is to provide public school choice since, contrary to many peoples’ understandings, charter schools are public schools; on the other hand, school voucher programs are about helping pay for private schools. In this context, charter schools do not drain resources from other public schools, they just provide an alternative. And, since these schools must outperform other public schools to keep their charters, they not only improve the education of their students, but they also force other public schools in the area to “raise their game” to compete with the charter schools for students. To this end, Cliff explained that there are many measurements other than test scores that can be used to evaluate whether charter schools are effective at meeting their educational goals, but using standardized tests as a proof-point, New York City charter schools substantially outperform all other NYC schools and the NY state average on these tests.

Cliff spent some time talking about why teachers’ unions oppose charter schools, and, ultimately, why politics and the strength of teacher unions serve to limit the number of charter schools allowed by a state. He discussed some of the benefits charter schools enjoy such as greater freedom to experiment with different teaching and curriculum approaches and generally greater educational and operational autonomy, while working within the approved charter.

Celia then spoke passionately about LION, which is now the largest charter school in NYC and how, despite its location in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx that was the country’s poorest school district when LION was established, their students thrive and consistently outperform other low-income public schools and public schools, in general. They produce high school graduation rates in excess of 90%, 3 times the bachelor’s degree rates for their graduates versus the national average for low income-based schools, and an 80% graduation rate for students with disabilities. Celia noted that their student population is among the most economically disadvantaged and reflects the overall school population in terms of students with disabilities, multi-lingual households and other measures that might encumber LION’s success rates, but they haven’t.

Celia discussed the broad LION mission of building students of character and the role of family programs, teacher development and alumni support. She discussed how the focus is on creating well-rounded students with a curricula and school experience that includes the arts, sports, academics and service. In discussing alumni support, Celia noted the College Persistence Fund that was founded/strongly supported by former DMA member Wilder Baker to provide on-going support for LION graduates throughout their college careers. She closed by sharing some stories written by graduating seniors that talked to the role LION had had on their lives and some videos of LION graduates who have moved on to successful college experiences. Throughout her comments, Celia made powerful points about how a supportive yet high-expectation and accountability environment that includes the entire school community (students, teachers, family) enables LION’s success despite the challenges of being in a community where crime, drugs and gang wars are commonplace and easy barriers to positive results.

In an emotional closing, Cliff thanked those who helped and supported his efforts to gain approval to create and build LION into what it is today and announced his goal of creating an endowment for the school to further its mission as part of his go-forward work for the school.

Video Presentation

Understanding and Living with Dementia

Through improved lifestyles, diet and medical treatment people are living longer than generations past. It is not uncommon for families to contain a member who has been diagnosed with some form of dementia. This talk will cover the major types of this illness and provide strategies for managing dementia and its implications when it impacts your family.

Art Gottlieb received his undergraduate degree in Psychology in 1987 from the State University of New York at Purchase and his Master of Social Work in 1991 from Hunter College in Manhattan. Maintaining licenses as a  Master Social Worker in New York and a Clinical Social Worker in Connecticut, Mr. Gottlieb has additionally earned the credential of Certified Senior Advisor (CSA). A frequent guest speaker at colleges, senior centers and independent living communities throughout Fairfield County, he maintains a private practice of psychotherapy and intergenerational counseling in Milford Connecticut.

Speaker Summary

Employing a storytelling/case study approach based on his own personal and professional experiences as a clinical psychotherapist, Art took us through an educational session on the causes, challenges, and management approaches for dealing with people with dementia. His engaging, personable, and often humorous style helped make a sensitive and potentially uncomfortable topic easier to hear about without undermining the seriousness of it.

Art explained how his work evolved from discovering a niche in local psychotherapy practices and then filling the gap working with seniors and their families and, especially, the needs of men. He reinforced what we have heard before from other speakers: that the less well-developed social networks of men make them especially susceptible to loneliness and fewer social interactions which can exacerbate illnesses like dementia.

Art talked about a “typical” patient situation and the family dynamics that often ensue including tension among children, decisions and reactions to each other and their parent’s condition/needs, and how feelings of guilt (“I need to take care of mom”) can heighten problems rather than help them. He emphasized the notion that doing the right thing for them might mean finding others to provide the help they need including an example of his own mother (who does not have dementia) who needs certain types of help that is better provided by someone other than him despite his knowledge and love for her.

A few key points Art touched on for consideration were: ensuring the patient’s dignity/not talking about them in front of them; “incurable loneliness” as the most common complaint of the elderly; and, the frustration of families looking for the “cure” for something that is incurable. Art drew an interesting analogy about life and aging to ascending and then descending a hill (in this case, “the hill of life”) and the psychological and physiological implications of that.

Art spent some time discussing the two types of dementia and some of the “causes”/precursors to them. The first type is caused by vascular damage, largely strokes (either a single large stroke or a series of smaller ones). He explained how the blockages from the stroke impact the brain, drawing analogies to cardiovascular/coronary heart disease, which is also a risk factor for this type of dementia. The second type involves degenerative brain diseases, of which Alzheimer’s is most common.  These diseases are caused by the breakdown in protective fats in the brain that insulate and protect key brain components. For this type, he mentioned some of the negative contributing factors like diet. But he made a major point to mention that genetics/hereditary is one of the largest factors and nothing can be done about that other than to be aware of your risks, do the things that are best to mitigate/minimize the impact of other contributing factors, and undertake lifestyle activities that work against this disease. To this end, he talked about the importance of physical and mental activity and getting out of the house to do things to help keep the brain active and people socially engaged. He emphasized that the programs he has developed for seniors and facilities he works with focus heavily on doing this.

Finally, Art explained the process and distinction between short- and long-term memory and how/why it manifests itself in people with dementia, sharing an easily relatable example of telling someone with dementia the same thing 10 times and not understanding why they don’t remember it. They lack the mechanism to transfer the information into long-term memory. Yet they remember things that were transferred years ago when this mechanism was still functioning.

An indication of how Art’s talk resonated with the audience was the number of people who came up to the stage to take one of his business cards during and after the Q&A session.

Video Presentation 

The Ambassador Who Tried to Prevent the Attack on Pearl Harbor 

In 1931, the Japanese army occupied Manchuria. The following year, Japanese naval officers assassinated the prime minister. Conspiracies flourished and anti-West propaganda campaigns swept Japan. Into this maelstrom stepped Joseph C. Grew, America’s most experienced and talented diplomat. For the next decade, right up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ambassador Grew warned American leaders about the risks posed by Japan’s raging nationalism and militarism, as he also attempted to influence Tokyo’s increasingly erratic and volatile foreign policy. The events that unfolded during Grew’s tenure proved to be pivotal for Japan and for the world.

Speaker Summary

Steve spoke about his book and provided an enlightening view of the activities leading up to the invasion of Pearl Harbor by Japan, a perspective that most people have a limited understanding of, especially relative to our knowledge of the build-up to the war in Europe. His focus was on the role and perspectives of Joseph Grew, the Ambassador to Japan from 1931-1941, with Kemper relying heavily on the personal diaries of Grew to provide an insider’s look into the activities of the time.

Steve started with a brief history of Grew and his service as a career diplomat, serving in 14 posts and being appointed by President Hoover as Ambassador to Japan in 1931 in an effort to stabilize and bring greater harmony to the relationship between the U.S. and Japan. Kemper provided a look into the turmoil in Japan that resulted from a complex and often discordant relationship between the military and political leadership and Japan’s move to a Parliamentary Democracy juxtaposed against an historical leadership approach by the ruling family of the emperor. As a result, Grew dealt with 17 leadership changes in Japan during his tenure there. This was further compounded by the rapid revolution of the Japanese culture as it emerged from a philosophy of closed secrecy to becoming a world power in just 60 years. Japan embraced many aspects of a more open/progressive Western culture which created tension and clashed with the more conservative/traditional view of Japanese culture and values.  This ultimately overflowed into debate, violence and resistance fueled my media that misrepresented the role of the West and the U.S. in fomenting these changes.

While Grew focused on bringing the U.S. and Japan closer together, the rise of political extremism (and distrust among leading power players in the U.S State Department), ultimately undermined his efforts and the hope for peace between the nations. This was exacerbated by Japan’s activities against the civilians and cities in China as well as U.S. resources, forces, property and people in the area during and after the Sino-Japanese War. In fact, Grew counted over 300 instances of “unintentional” acts against the U.S. in the area during the late 1930’s.

Following a brief furlough, Grew returned to Japan in late 1939 just as Nazi Germany began its assault on Europe.  The success of Germany emboldened Japan and their view of their imperial right to control Asia, undermining the U.S. attempts at slowing/managing Japan’s efforts at expansion. Then, in 1941, efforts led by Grew and his Japanese counterpart to reach a peaceful approach to moving forward was thwarted by Secretary of State Hull’s distrust of Japan, leading to Japan moving forward with their alternative plan – an assault on the U.S. Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor.

Kemper closed with the story of the delayed communication from FDR to Japanese leadership on December 6 that might have stopped the attack the next morning and how Grew was then held as a POW in Japan for 6 months. During this time, he wrote a report regarding what happened and what could have been done differently to avoid this tragedy. The report was rejected (and largely destroyed) when presented by Grew to Hull. Kemper characterized this report as Grew’s answer to the question “what if….”. We’ll never know the answer, but it was Kemper’s perspective that nothing was likely to deter Japan’s actions based on their view of their imperialistic right to control Asia and their willingness to pay whatever price it required.

Connecticut in the Movies, a Discussion with the Author About Her Book and Perspectives

Speaker Summary

In front of a large group, including many guests, Peter and Illeana discussed the history of Connecticut in the Movies through the lens of her book of the same name which she wrote to take the reader on a “cinematic road trip through Connecticut”. She started by showing a lengthy trailer that highlighted the many films shot in the state including what she acknowledged was a bit of a cheat by including “It’s A Wonderful Life”, which wasn’t shot here but the bell that was rung “every time an angel gets his wings” was manufactured in the state.

Illeana noted that her goal with the book was to help create a more specific film identity for the state that reflected the true – and total – sense of Connecticut which she feels has not been well-defined despite the number of movies filmed here. She took us through a brief filmic history, starting with silent films and then moving towards movies where Connecticut was depicted as “the countryside” with rich patrons with country homes. She explained how the state was largely shown as “the place you went to when you left the city”, living in towns and homes that reflected the fruits of striving for success and often defined by “the white colonial with the picket fence”. This was best defined by the very commercial and light-hearted “Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House” and evolved in the 50’s to deeper, darker movies about what really went on in these towns and homes as part of this striving for success (referencing “Gentleman’s Agreement” and its Darien locale as a specific example). And then darker yet in the 70’s with films like “The Ice Storm” (shot in New Canaan).

Illeana explained how she wanted to show that Connecticut has more dimensions than these wealthy, bedroom communities/suburbs with their hidden stories. In this context, she referenced movies shot in very different locations like Waterbury to demonstrate her goal of telling a broader story and creating a more diverse image than the one she encountered about Connecticut in Hollywood where she/people from Connecticut were often characterized by people she met as “Aryans from Darien”.

She also talked about the enclaves of actors, writers and others in the industry that developed in towns like Weston, Westport and New Milford. And, in the Q&A, she commented on many of the people who helped support the industry in the state and these towns like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. And, of course, the role of Katherine Hepburn in helping create the image of the quintessentially Connecticut women.

Video Presentation

Video: Connecticut in the movies 

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Strategies

Suicide is a leading cause of death, especially among older men, and it is preventable. Understanding the role stigma plays in accessing help, identifying risk factors, warning signs, and knowing how to talk about suicide are important concepts in prevention and awareness efforts. This presentation will equip the audience with the knowledge and confidence of suicide prevention strategies.

Erin Harlow-Parker, APRN (Advanced Practice Nurse), PMHCNS-BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – Board Certified), has worked in the field of psychiatry for more than 35 years. She received her BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) from Rhode Island College and her MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her practice areas have included inpatient, outpatient, consult psychiatry and behavioral and mental health illness prevention work. Her passions include suicide prevention, treating patients with eating disorders, and reducing mental health stigma. Erin has done countless presentations on suicide prevention, building resilience, and eating disorders to a wide variety of audiences.

In January of 2022, Erin’s husband of 32 years, and prominent Atlanta businessperson, died by suicide. Since then, she has made it her mission to change the narrative on suicide. Erin’s speaking engagements focus on suicide awareness and prevention, with the purpose of educating, decreasing stigma, and increasing help-seeking behavior.

Currently, Erin serves as the Manager of Child Advocacy Programs, Behavioral Mental Health, at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and is actively involved in suicide prevention efforts at the state level. In 2018, Erin was awarded the Institute for Healthcare Improvement/National Patient Safety Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Speaker Summary

Erin provided an informative and powerful discussion of suicide, with a focus on suicide prevention, based on her clinical experience and her very personal experience after her husband died from suicide in January 2022.

She began by sharing some disconcerting statistics about suicide rates in the U.S., especially among older people and, particularly, older men. She shared some of the factors that contribute to the increased risk of suicide as you age and how one of these, loneliness/lack of social connectedness, is especially significant for older men. Erin noted that the suicide rate for people over 65 increased 8% from 2021-2022, likely impacted by the COVID pandemic and how it exacerbated the impact of loneliness/isolation on suicidal feelings and actions.

Erin talked about the role of stigma as an obstacle to talking about suicide and how things like fear, embarrassment, shame and misconceptions about suicide prevent people from asking and talking about it, leading to reducing the chances of preventing suicides. She also talked about “the language of suicide” (e.g., people die from suicide, they don’t commit suicide) and how that, too, is problematic in talking about and addressing the problem.

Erin then went through a lengthy discussion of the suicide risk factors, suicide warning signs and the protective factors that help mitigate these risks before moving on to the crux of her talk –what we can do to help prevent suicide. She emphasized the concept of building resilience which is the ability to handle life’s ups and downs. Erin talked about practicing healthy habits and especially focused on self-care, connectedness and emotional expression. She engaged the DMA audience to help make her point – and personalize the concept – of emotional expression by having members provide relevant examples from their own lives. Through this, it became clearer why suicide can be a greater risk for men due, in part, to how they have been conditioned to deal with and express their emotions.

Before closing with a list of suicide prevention resources, including several local/Connecticut resources, Erin provided five action steps to help support someone with suicidal thoughts. Perhaps most critically (here and throughout her talk), Erin talked about not letting the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing stop you from doing something.

Several thought provoking questions provided the opportunity for Erin to make the additional points about how people in leadership positions (e.g., CEO’s) are at greater risk of suicide and  that suicide risk and protection factors don’t differ as you age, although some of them might have greater salience due to life stage and developmental differences that are impacted by your age.

Erin provided me with a copy of her talk. Anyone who would like it can email me at frankdeleo@hotmail.com.

Video Presentation