Category: Speaker Announcements (Page 22 of 30)

David Hurwitt was born in Kansas City, moved to Darien after business school in Boston. He worked for 26 years for General Foods in White Plains and Europe, eventually turning to consulting, coaching and cultivating his photography hobby.

He will share his perspective on what makes an effective, impactful photograph, describing guidelines that separate memorable images from snapshots, including examples. Then he will show many of his favorite photographs from his 50+ years as an avid photographer. David started taking black and white pictures when his children were young, developing them in his darkroom. Camera and darkroom followed the family to Europe and to many corners of the world over the years, until the darkroom gave way to the digital revolution and the computer.  He believes that an image succeeds if it heightens viewers’ curiosity about the person or place, and makes them feel, even for a moment, that they’d been there too. His camera lens has become a “fresh eye” through which he can share his vision, and his art.

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NjR8DcD2lY

Dr Edward Schuster is a Stamford cardiologist and internist who has practised in this area for almost 40 years. A graduate of the Chicago Medical School he completed his residency at Duke and Fellowship in Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Over the years he has received several honors. For the past 15 years he has appeared in the List of Best Doctors not only in CT but in the entire country. He has extensive teaching experience with both the house staff at Stamford Hospital and medical students from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He developed the EMS system in Stamford and the use of defibrillators throughout the city. He specializes in all aspects of cardiology with an emphasis in Preventative Cardiology and Aging Successfully. His talk is entitled “How to Live to be 110 without disabilities.” Drawing on his experience as well as medical studies, he will be giving between 30-40 tips as to how this aspirational goal can be achieved.

Host: Sunil Saksena

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVjNxJ76uIQ

Wednesday May 22, 2019
Prof Hamish Lutris will speak to us about Connecticut’s role in the Civil War. Connecticut provided a greater percentage of its citizens as Union manpower than any other state.  Its soldiers and sailors underwent triumph and tragedy in every theater of operations in the war. In addition, Connecticut was the arsenal of the Union, with factories producing uniforms, guns, and equipment for the Union armies in unheard of profusion, making Union armies the best-equipped in human history until that time. This presentation paints a portrait of Connecticut in the Civil War, a contradictory picture of a state on the cusp of change, though struggling to retain a way of life rapidly fading into a bucolic past.

Hamish Lutris is an Associate Professor of History and Political Science at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut. He has worked in some of America’s premier natural and historical sites, leading hiking and historical programs. He has also lectured extensively in the United States, Europe, and Canada, presenting programs on wide-ranging historical topics, including Native American history, the Civil War, Scientific History, Social and cultural history, World War I, World War II, and the American West.

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlISkBoi6fw

Draggan Mihailovich, Producer CBS 60 Minutes, will talk about what goes into making a great “60 Minutes” story, from conception to casting to  writing to editing. He’ll give some examples and also talk about his favorite story of all time, which he produced during his time at CBS Sports: a piece on Louie Zamperini which was the inspiration for the best selling book “Unbroken.”

Mihailovich, 57, started his network television career at ABC Sports in 1984 where he worked on the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics and the Calgary Winter Olympics. In 1988, CBS Sports hired Mihailovich to produce features for the next three Winter Olympics: in Albertville, France; Lillehammer, Norway; and Nagano, Japan. For the past 21 years, Mihailovich has been a producer for the CBS News program “60 Minutes”. Since joining the broadcast in May 1998, Mihailovich has won seven Emmy Awards. In all, he has won 11 Emmy Awards, four of them for his work as a feature producer at CBS Sports. A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Mihailovich now lives in Stamford.

Host: Sunil Saksena

I’ll be speaking about my latest book, The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968, which tells the story of the 1968 Harvard-Yale football game, the legendary 29-29 tie that is on nearly every list of the top ten most exciting games in college gridiron history. Although the book includes a detailed description of the game itself, this is a book about more than football. It’s a book about a watershed year in American history (the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, rioting at the Democratic National Convention, the Tet Offensive, increasing racial tension, not to mention sex, drugs, and rock and roll) as navigated by a group of young men and by the contrasting institutions they attended.  (In the course of my research I interviewed 54 of the players who took the field on November 23, 1968.) As Publishers Weekly observed, “By humanizing the players, the accounts of each team’s amazing season and the four-chapter recap of their final, unbelievable game are elevated above entertaining sports reporting to thoughtful, emotional storytelling. This excellent history illustrates sport’s powerful role in American society.” The Wall Street Journal called it “the rare sports book that lives up to the claim of so many entrants in this genre: It is, in its way, the portrait of an era.”

I’ll talk about how I came to write the book, about the process of writing and editing it, and about the unexpected relevance readers have found in it.

Host: Alex Garnett

On November 23, 1968, there was a turbulent and memorable football game: the season-ending clash between Harvard and Yale. The final score was 29-29. To some of the players, it was a triumph; to others a tragedy. And to many, the reasons had as much to do with one side’s miraculous comeback in the game’s final forty-two seconds as it did with the months that preceded it, months that witnessed the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, police brutality at the Democratic National Convention, inner-city riots, campus takeovers, and, looming over everything, the war in Vietnam.

George Howe Colt’s The Game is the story of that iconic American year, as seen through the young men who lived it and were changed by it. One player had recently returned from Vietnam. Two were members of the radical antiwar group SDS. There was one NFL prospect who quit to devote his time to black altruism; another who went on to be Pro-Bowler Calvin Hill. There was a guard named Tommy Lee Jones, and fullback who dated a young Meryl Streep. They played side by side and together forged a moment of startling grace in the midst of the storm.

“Vibrant, energetic, and beautifully structured” (NPR), this magnificent and intimate work of history is the story of ordinary people in an extraordinary time, and of a country facing issues that we continue to wrestle with to this day. “The Game is the rare sports book that lives up to the claim of so many entrants in this genre: It is the portrait of an era” (The Wall Street Journal).

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93l0d5gaNMA

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Lino DiCuollo will speak on the U.S. Soccer League operations, competition and player relations. As senior vice president, Competition & Player Relations, he oversees the league’s acquisition and retention of players, including senior and supplemental rosters. Included among his primary responsibilities are overseeing major league soccer (MLS) clubs’ compliance with MLS roster and budget guidelines, managing the league’s centralized role in approving player contracts and leading the league’s efforts in global player recruitment. Lino joined MLS in 2005.  Since then, he has liaised with all expansion clubs to manage their rosters on entering MLS, played a key role in assisting senior executives and ownership in formulating player investment strategies, and introduced a technology initiative in the league’s global scouting efforts to assist clubs in their player recruitment strategies. He also oversees the league’s strategic initiatives related to youth player acquisition and retention in the United States and Canada, as well as all player signings from the league’s Allocation List. Lino works with the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Canadian Soccer Federation, CONCACAF and FIFA to ensure that MLS and its clubs are in compliance with regional and global player registration matters. He graduated from Rutgers with a degree in economics and was a four-year starter for the men’s soccer team. He was inducted in the Rutgers University Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. He lives in Darien with his wife, son and twin daughters. Arranged by Kevin Davidson

Video of presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnt8HPv79Bw&t=199s

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Emilie Deutsch will discuss her recent documentary, “Althea & Arthur,” which aired on CBS Sports Network in celebration of Black History Month. The film highlights the legacies of Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe as the first African-Americans to cross the color barrier of international tennis and their impact not only on the world of tennis but also in advancing civil rights in America during a time of racism and segregation. Emilie is a veteran sports RV producer, has been vice president of the Original Programming & Features for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network since 2004, and originated “NCAA March Madness Confidential.” Throughout her career, Emilie has focused on creating impactful programming on women and African-Americans in sports. In 2014, Emilie helped develop and launch the first all-female national sports talk show, “We Need to Talk,” on CBS Sports Network that won the Gracie Award for Women in Media. Emilie is a graduate of Stanford University, where she studied international relations and served as the sports editor of the Stanford Daily. Aside from her six Emmy awards and more than 30 nominations, one of her proudest achievements is receiving the Arthur Ashe Leadership Award for her documentation of women and African-Americans in sports. She lives with her husband Dominic Schmitt in New Rochelle and has three children. Arranged by Tom Lom

Video of her presentation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrrMy7hn4U8

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Leonard Leader will cover the essentials of estate planning techniques in the context of today’s tax climate, with particular focus on recent changes in the federal and state estate tax laws. He will emphasize various lifetime planning techniques that provide asset protection for future generations while minimizing the potential for adverse tax consequences. Len will discuss important planning opportunities and perils that will have application for all levels of wealth.  His presentation will highlight the consequences of the failure to plan, including a few minutes covering wealthy celebrity case studies. Len is nationally recognized in his field. Worth magazine has named him one of the Top 100 Trust and Estate Lawyers in the country. Chambers High Net Worth magazine recognized him in 2018. Connecticut Super Lawyers has listed him in the category of Estate and Probate since 2007 as well. Len is a prolific thought leader in his field. He is a contributing writer on estate planning to several law publications and is a frequent speaker on estate and tax planning topics to bar associations, business groups and continuing education programs. He also presents at an annual fiduciary income tax workshop for Professional Education Systems. Len is a member of the Taxation Section, the Generation Skipping Trusts Committee of the Estate Planning and Drafting Group of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association, and the Executive Committee of the Estate and Probate Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. Arranged by Tom Igoe

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyx3071wxXw

Mr. Leader’s PowerPoint Presentation

https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/Darien-Mens-Association-PPT-April-10-2019.pdf

Advisory: Non-Tax Reasons for Estate Planning

https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/Advisory-Non-Tax-Reasons-for-Estate-Planning.pdf

Advisory: Domicile and Planning

https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/Advisory-Domicile-and-Planning.pdf

2018 Year End Advisory

https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-End-of-Year-Advisory.pdf

Update to Connecticut Exemption Amounts

https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/Update-to-Connecticut-Exemption-Amounts.pdf

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

John Hamilton will speak on the field of addiction treatment and prevention. He is nationally recognized as an expert in this field. He brings three decades of experience to his role as president and CEO of Liberation Programs and also chairs the Advisory Board for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and serves on the Governor’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Council. Previously, John was chief clinical outreach officer at Mountainside Treatment Center, a nationally acclaimed drug rehabilitation center with locations in New York and Connecticut. He served as CIO of Recovery Network of Programs, a nonprofit behavioral health agency serving the Greater Bridgeport Community. John is past chair of the Dissemination Committee for the National Institute for Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network, past chair of the Community Treatment Providers Caucus, past president of the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health Board, past president of the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals and co-founder of the Greenwich Father’s Forum. In 2013, John was a recipient of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Nyswander-Dole Award for his contributions to the field of addiction treatment. Arranged by John Bassler

Presentation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCVBOolWjQ0

John’s slides: https://dariendma.org/wp-content/uploads/John-Hamiltons-Slides.pdf

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 

Art Gottlieb returns to the DMA to talk with us about the history of the USS Intrepid. Launched in 1943, this former aircraft carrier fought in World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike. The ship later served in the Cold War and then the Vietnam War. Intrepid also served as a NASA recovery vessel in the 1960s. It was decommissioned in 1974 and, today, is berthed on the Hudson River as the centerpiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Art has served as a professional curator of naval history and technical director of exhibits at the museum. His presentation will cover the full history of the Intrepid from keel laying through her service history up to the present day. Arranged by Tom Lom

Video of his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-zyBnwAla8

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