Category: Speaker Announcements (Page 14 of 45)

Ted Aldrich is the author of “The Partnership: George Marshall, Henry Stimson, and the Extraordinary collaboration that Won World War II.” On September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland to launch World War II, Gen. George Marshall was sworn in as chief of staff of the U.S. Army. Ten months later, Roosevelt appointed the prominent elder statesmen Henry Stimson secretary of war. For the next five years, from adjoining offices where the door between them was always left open, Marshall and Stimson headed the army machine that ground down the Axis. Their effort, one of the greatest feats of management in the history of the world, was also one of the most consequential collaborations of the twentieth century. The Partnership tells the story of how they worked together to win World War II and reshape not only the United States, but the world.

Ted is a Rowayton native and son-in-law of DMA member Pete Scull. He majored in economics and political science at Colgate University and received an MBA in finance from Boston College. He has a career in international finance, primarily in commodities, and has held senior positions at UBS, Fortis, and Mizuho Bank and is now with Auramet Trading, one of the world’s largest physical precious metals merchants. He has long had an interest in history, leading to his decision to write a book about these two key figures in World War II.

Arranged by Pete Scull

The Partnership: George Marshall, Henry Stimson, and the Extraordinary Collaboration that Won World War II

On September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland to launch World War II, Gen. George Marshall was sworn in as chief of staff of the U.S. Army. Ten months later, Roosevelt appointed the prominent elder statesmen Henry Stimson secretary of war. For the next five years, from adjoining offices where the door between them was always left open, Marshall and Stimson headed the army machine that ground down the Axis. Their effort, one of the greatest feats of management in the history of the world, was also one of the most consequential collaborations of the twentieth century.  The Partnership tells the story of how they worked together to win World War II and reshape not only the United States, but the world.

The general and the secretary traveled very different paths to power. Educated at Phillips Academy, Yale, and Harvard Law, Henry Stimson joined the Wall Street law firm of Elihu Root, a future secretary of war and state himself.  He went on to serve as U.S. Attorney for his friend President Theodore Roosevelt, secretary of war under Taft, governor-general of the Philippines, and secretary of state under Hoover. A 73-year-old wise man and internationalist Republican with an excellent track record, Stimson ticked the boxes for another Roosevelt, who was in the middle of his third reelection campaign at the time. Thirteen years younger, George Marshall graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, then began a very slow, climb up the army ranks despite having a nearly flawless service record (during World War I he performed brilliant staff work for General Pershing). After a string of postings, Marshall ended up in Washington in the 1930s and impressed FDR with his honesty, securing his appointment as chief of staff.

Marshall and Stimson combined with a dazzling synergy to lead the American military effort in World War II, in roles that blended business, politics, diplomacy, and bureaucracy in addition to warfighting. They transformed an outdated, poorly equipped army into a well-equipped modern fighting force of millions. They identified soldiers and civilians, from Eisenhower, Bradley and McNair to McCloy, Lovett, Patterson, and Bundy, who were best suited for high command or sparking the industrial machine that shocked the world. They helped develop the worldwide strategy and logistical feats for battles from North Africa to D-Day. They collaborated with Allies like Churchill, Stalin, and the U.S. Navy.  The two men made decisions, from the atomic bombs to the recovery of Europe, that would echo for decades. There were mistakes and disagreements, but the partnership of Marshall and Stimson was, all in all, a bravura performance, a master class in leadership and teamwork.

In the tradition of group biographies like the classic The Wise Men, The Partnership shines a spotlight on two giants, telling the fascinating stories of each man, the dramatic story of their collaboration, and the epic story of the United States in World War II.

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Micki McElya is a professor of history at the University of Connecticut. In 2017, her book, “The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery,” was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It is a luminous investigation of how policies and practices at Arlington have mirrored the nation’s fierce battles over race, politics, honor, and loyalty. Prof. McElya graduated Bryn Mar College in 1994 and received a PhD from New York University in 2003. Before joining the faculty at UConn, she was an assistant professor of American Studies at the University of Alabama. She is currently working on a book entitled, “No More Miss America! How Protesting the 1968 Pageant Changed a Nation.”

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Dr. Daniel Ksepka, Curator of Science at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, will speak about the “March of the Fossil Penguins.” He will detail the fossil record of these birds and fieldwork he has done in Peru and New Zealand. Prior to joining the Bruce Museum in 2014, Dr. Ksepka for nine years was on the staff of the Field Museum in Chicago and, prior to that, was with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. He was a fellow with NESCent, a research center on the Duke University campus. He received a B.S. degree from Rutgars and a PhD from Columbia University. Dr. Ksepka will also present slides showing the expansion of the new Bruce Museum which is scheduled to open in about a year.

Arranged by Charles Salmans

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Jim Lucey joined the U.S. Secret Service in 1970 and retired after 28 years as the Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Protective Research. During his career, Jim provided protection for U.S. presidents, vice presidents, presidential candidates, and visiting Heads of State. In his last assignment, he reviewed and coordinated all intelligence investigations on groups and individuals who posed a threat against any persons and places protected by the Secret Service.

After retirement, Jim served as Chief of Protection Services at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. As Chief he was responsible for the overall protection and security of the Gallery’s collections, facilities, and properties that are visited by several million annual visitors, as well as protection for approximately 1,000 employees including 330 security staff. He retired a second time in 2016.

A native of New York City, Jim holds a B.S. in business from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Arranged by Bob McGroarty

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Carla Gambescia is an award-winning author, travel journalist, lecturer, and avid photographer with a special focus on Italy. She spoke to the DMA several years ago about her then-new book entitled, “La Dolce Vita University: An unconventional guide to Italian Culture from A to Z.” We’ve invited Carla back for an encore so she can share with us her latest thoughts about Italian culture.

Carla’s passion for Italy began early, with her mother’s love of the Renaissance masters and her father’s discourses on Italian geniuses of every calling. In the ensuing decades, she’s written about and toured every region of Italy on foot or by bicycle. Carla was a former partner in the Ciao Bella Gelato Company, conceived and co-led the Giro del Gelato bicycle tour which won Outside Magazine’s “Best Trip in Western Europe,” and, for a decade, owned and operated Via Vanti! Restaurant & Gelateria in Mount Kisco, New York. Via Vanti! received a “Very Good” from The New York Times and many plaudits for its innovative Italian cuisine, its delicio gelato (named “Best Gelato Shop in New York”), and for its culinary and cultural special events.

Carla’s success as an entrepreneur, cultural educator, and engaging storyteller reflects not only her knowledge, but also her passionate and joyful spirit.

Video Presentation begins at 08:07

Arranged by Charles Salmans

Megan Palmer Rivera, a fifth-generation member of the Palmer’s family, will tell the story of Palmer’s Market, one of Darien’s most enduring retailers, which recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary. As a Darien institution that generates tremendous customer loyalty, Megan says Palmer’s owes its success to decades of evolution to meet the changing needs of area shoppers as well as its reputation for community service. Her great-great-grandfather Rocco Palmer established Palmer’s in the old Noroton Heights Center in 1921, although its roots go back to the early 1900s as a family-owned butcher shop in Stamford. Few family-owned businesses survive into the 3^rd generation. Now the 4th and 5th generations of Palmer’s are running the business and the family’s vision over the years transformed a simple market into a supermarket in the 1950s and in more recent years as a one stop shopping destination including groceries, restaurant-quality prepared foods, flowers, a bakery, gift baskets, catering, and even guided tours to Italy and other destinations around the world.

Megan grew up working alongside her mother and grandfather at Palmer’s Market and always dreamed of becoming a chef. After high school, Megan attended The Culinary Institute of America, where she received her Culinary Arts Degree. She went on to study at the CIA’s St. Helena Campus, where she graduated as Class Valedictorian, adding a Baking and Pastry Arts Degree to her resume. After graduating, she opened Palmer’s Bakery, and four years later took over as Executive Chef, overseeing the production kitchen at the market and, the following year, launched Palmer’s Catering & Events. She has added 30 new positions to the company. In 2018 she took over as Palmer’s Managing Director. At the helm of a company that just celebrated 100 years in the business, her main focus is ensuring that Palmer’s will be around to support 100 more years of service to customers, employees, and local non-profits and charities. She will be sharing a documentary that was created for their anniversary.

Arranged by Charles Salmans

Video Presentation 

No name is more synonymous with the evil side of Wall Street than Bernie Madoff. Jim Campbell is author of “Madoff Talks,” the result of extensive correspondence with Bernie Madoff and those close to him.  Arrested for fraud in 2008 — during the depths of the financial crisis — the 70-year-old market maker, investment advisor and former chairman of the NASDAQ had orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in world history, fleecing thousands of investors across the globe to the tune of $65 billion. To this day, questions remain: Why did he do it? How did he get away with it for so long? What did his family know? Who is the elusive Bernie Madoff?
Jim Campbell is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show Business Talk with Jim Campbell and his crime show Forensic Talk with Jim Campbell. Campbell’s extensive corporate, consulting and entrepreneurial business background includes roles at KPMG Consulting, Dean Witter Financial Services (now Morgan Stanley) and IBM. He is founder and president at JC Ventures, Inc., a management consulting business.

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Japan surrendered after the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945. DMA member Charles Salmans points out that the B-29 was also essential to the defeat of Japan because the U.S.  needed a way to deliver such bombs. No aircraft had that capability before the B-29 and the design of this aircraft was revolutionary, only to be superseded as a World War II technological achievement by the development of the atomic bomb itself. Under the pressure of war, both the design and production of the bomber took place concurrently, beginning in 1940. Major design and engineering modifications were still taking place through 1945 with air crew, in effect, becoming test pilots. The B-29 was a huge technological advance, the first aircraft with a pressurized cabin. It had three times the bomb load and twice the range of any other bomber at the time, made possible in part by a revolutionary wing design. But it required the most powerful engines ever built, and these were its Achilles heel. Furthermore, it was designed for high level, precision bombing before there was understanding of the high-altitude jet stream, which was at its most powerful at the latitude of Tokyo and which blew bombs off target. Thus, bombing was anything but precise. Consequently, General Curtis LeMay had to alter the tactics to low-level firebombing and in a single night a raid on Tokyo caused more civilian casualties than either of the atomic bombs.

Video Presentation

B-29 AIR RAID BOMBING IN TOKYO FILM NARRATED BY RONALD REAGAN “TARGET TOKYO” 74382

Dr. Joshua Lader, a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at Stamford Health Medical Group (Stamford Hospital), will speak to us about “Advances in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.” This is a condition of irregular heartbeat that especially affects the age group of our membership, with approximately 70% of individuals presenting with AFib falling between 65 and 85 years of age. Dr. Lader graduated from New York University and has a medical degree from the NYU School of Medicine. Through a fellowship at NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Lader conducted research aimed at explaining some of the basic molecular underpinnings of AFib. He believes that when targeted lifestyle modifications fall short, this marks the beginning of an age where heart rhythm disturbances are treated, and even prevented, by targeted treatments at the molecular level. Dr. Lader is a member of a collaborative team at Stamford Health that addresses rhythm disturbances from a multidisciplinary point of view.

Arranged by Charles Salmans

Video Presentation 

Marti Denny Peterson graduated from Darien High School in 1963 and from Drew University in 1967. Married in 1969, she accompanied her husband, a CIA officer, to Laos. After he tragically was killed in a helicopter crash, Marti joined the CIA and became a case officer beginning her own 30-year CIA career. After learning Russian, she was one of the first women to be assigned to Moscow, a very difficult operational environment. “The Widow Spy” is her first-hand account of that experience, where she walked the dark streets of Moscow alone, placing dead-drops and avoiding the relentless eye of the KGB. Her book chronicles the clandestine activities that eventually led to her arrest and detention in Lubyanka Prison. She retired from the CIA in 2003 and now lives in Wilmington, N.C.

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Arranged by Charles Salmans

Darien has much to be proud of in terms of fiscal management. The Darien Board of Finance is responsible for approving most budgets and expenditures and designing the tax and financing plans that fund the town. Jim Palen, Chairman of the Darien Board of Finance, will take us inside this process of financial management and discipline in a local Town Economics 101 presentation. Jim has been a member of the Board since 2015 and became chairman in 2021. Prior to that he served eight years on the RTM, including as Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee which is responsible for analyzing and reporting on financial and budgeting matters. He also is Chairman of Darien’s Audit Committee and has served on various building committees. Additionally, he has been a member of the negotiating team for numerous town and school union contracts. Jim’s career includes more than 25 years in investment banking, primarily focusing on the transportation sector. He is currently a Managing Director at Jefferies LLC, specializing in airlines and other private sector transportation clients. Previously he had a similar specialty at Credit Suisse and Bear Stearns, including specializing in municipal finance for transportation infrastructure. Jim and his wife Hallie, who have three children, have lived in Darien for 18 years during which Jim has been very involved in his children’s sports activities, has taught boating safety with the Darien Sail & Power Squadron, and has served on and been Chair and Vice Chair of the Darien Republican Town Committee.

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Arranged by John Wolcott

The Presidency of Martin Van Buren  is the subject of a talk by DMA member Mark Nunan. Van Buren, our eighth president from 1837 to 1841, is not well known, but arguably he transformed US politics, uniting factions into workable two-party system.  Amazingly, having along with Andrew Jackson been instrumental in founding the Democratic Party, late in life he was influential in the launching of the Republican Party. As a boy growing up modestly at the close of the Revolutionary era, Van Buren knew personally Alexander Hamilton and other prominent leaders of the new country. America and its institutions were still young and as Van Buren reached political prominence he was a keen analyst of the factional, cultural and regional interests of his time. He became critical of  Federalist dominance, including Hamilton’s success in establishing the Bank of the United States. It cost him dearly when as president he was blamed for the “Panic of 1837” and he was not re-elected. Van Buren continued to press for financial and labor reforms through three presidential runs at a time of changing politics in the country and the run-up to the Civil War.  His career contains lessons about how to mitigate the potential for factional feuds and political violence through the unifying power of a strong and successful party system.

Mark Nunan, who has previously spoken to the DMA about the lives of Robert Moses and Fiorello LaGuardia, was born in Cork, Ireland. At an early age his family moved to Alabama. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1976 and continued his education at Stanford University where he was awarded a master’s degree in 1979 and a Ph.D. in 1983. During that same period, he was a Fellow at L’ENS normale superieure at the University of Paris-Sorbonne as part of his Ph.D. program. In 1984, he joined COS, Inc., a firm that assists companies and governments in researching and implementing new business opportunities, retiring as a senior vice president in 2018. He splits his time between Darien and Slovenia where he has family connections.

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