May Program Chair – Allen Hamilton
- May 7 – Advancing Opportunity: First-Generation College Student Success – Speaker Dr. Leslie Pendleton is the founding director of the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program at the University of Florida. She is a national leader in creating sustainable efforts to support the college and life success of students who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree. Dr. Pendleton now serves as the lead development officer for the program, and she will discuss the 18-year history and impact of the Machen program. Through intentional peer mentoring, academic coaching, and overall care and compassion for first-generation college students, UF has created a scalable model for other universities to follow. [in-person and on Zoom]
- May14 – Wine, Beer & Spirits Business in NJ – Our guest speaker is Gary Fisch, the founder & CEO of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, a four-store retail chain in northern NJ. Founded in 1987, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace has become an industry-leading independent retailer selling wine, beer, spirits, gourmet foods, and giftware. During this presentation, Gary will speak about his founding story and some innovations he has pioneered in retailing over the past 35+ years. Gary has also been a good corporate citizen by supporting an annual wine-tasting event in Morristown. [in-person and on Zoom]
- May 21 – Genealogy & Ancestry.com – Allen Hamilton will present his experience with Ancestry.com, including the wealth of online information, such as the census and birth/death/burial records. He will also discuss the DNA results for him and his wife. Finally, he will lead a discussion on your stories. [in-person and on Zoom]
- May 28 – Metropolitan Golf Association – Conducting first-class championships that "promote and conserve the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf" was the founding mission of the MGA. Today, the MGA is recognized as a leader in championship administration and conducts some of the nation's oldest and most prestigious events with a list of champions that reads like a "Who's Who" of golf. Chris Gaffney, director of championships at the MGA, will provide insight into the historic MGA Championship program, the fantastic golf courses, accomplished alumni, great volunteering opportunities throughout New Jersey, and some insight on the rules of golf. [in-person and on Zoom]
April Program Chair - Pete Bolton
- Apr 2 – The Vivid Stage Company: Our speaker Laura Ekstrand, the founder and artistic director of the Vivid Stage Company (formerly Dreamcatcher), will introduce the company, located in the Oakes Center in Summit, and describe how it operates. The presentation will include the background of the artists of the company, the way plays are chosen, and the process of creating a production. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 9 – Entertainment by The Larks: The Larks, a well-known Summit musical troupe for 50 years, will entertain us with spirited song and dance numbers. They will be led by their talented musical director, Joanne Teubner-Prussak who also plays the piano. We will hear how they prepare for their shows,words about their parent group the Summit Junior League, and perhaps an evaluation of our sing-along segment,. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 16 – It Can Still Be Fixed: SAGE Furniture Restoration Workshop – Since 1961, the SAGE Eldercare Furniture Restoration Workshop has offered the public fine-quality furniture repair. Most of the volunteers are former professionals, including investment bankers, college professors, physicians, and scientists who have taught each other techniques needed to fix the aging furniture brought to them for restoration. Led by Bob McAnally, volunteers from the workshop will share some of their favorite stories of bringing new life to treasured belongings. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 23 – Are Microforests a Climate Solution for NJ? – Speaker Donna Goggin Patel, JD, serves as the chair of the Summit Environmental Commission. Did you know you can regrow a forest in a few decades in as little as 3-4 parking spaces worth of space? Or that Summit has its own version—the Tiny Forest—behind the Community Center? Learn about the importance of native species and how dense pocket reforestations can help mitigate climate change in NJ. Donna can also discuss the latest sustainability efforts in Summit and other planned and ongoing environmental efforts. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Apr 30 – How Can We Come Out Ahead? – Our own David Dietze is a noted investment expert regularly seen on Bloomberg and other investment TV programs. He will cite base investment trends and how we can plan to come out ahead as most of us adjust to having less income than we enjoyed in years gone by. He will discuss current inflation trends and how political trends can affect us. [in-person and on Zoom]
March Program Chair – Matt Wyvratt
- Mar 5 – "Ion Channels: Targets for New Therapeutics" – Our speaker Dr. Greg Kaczorowski (formerly from Merck) will discuss the importance of ion channels in our health. Ion channels are a large and diverse family of integral membrane proteins that are present in all cells of the body. These proteins span the plasma lipid bilayer membrane and contain an internal pore structure which can be opened/closed by various stimuli to allow the gated passage of ions (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, or chloride ions) into or out of a cell. Nature has used this rather simple mechanism to modulate all major biological activities, both somatic responses like voluntary muscle movement and autonomic actions like cardiac and respiratory activities. Because of their fundamental importance in systems biology, Greg will discuss how ion channels can be modulated for therapeutic benefit or be targeted to kill an organism. [video]
- Mar 12 – "History Of Children’s Specialized Hospital 1891 to Present" – We will hear from Jessica Arkel who is the development officer at Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation. She will discuss the history of Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Jersey from its early days in 1891 in Westfield to becoming a preeminent provider of pediatric rehabilitation with 15 facilities across New Jersey serving more than 35,000 children annually who are living with a variety of complex pediatric medical conditions—from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries—to a full scope of developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns. [video to appear]
- Mar 19 – "Three Public Health Emergencies and Drugs Developed to Control Them" – Our guest speaker Prof. Dennis Liotta has led a group of synthetic/medicinal chemists at Emory University for over four decades. He will provide an overview of his research in the antiviral arena, featuring stories of three highly successful antivirals he developed in collaboration with his academic colleagues and biotech partners. Dr. Liotta has contributed to 18 FDA-approved therapies, with perhaps his biggest impact coming in the HIV/AIDS field. He will also highlight recent drug discovery endeavors in various therapeutic areas, including oncology and neurological diseases. [video]
- Mar 26 – "From Science to Photography" – Our presenter Dr. Lenny McDonald will discuss the importance of experimentation and creativity in photography sharing his journey from science (formerly of Wyeth/Pfizer) to his present avocation. Macro and close-up are his favorite styles and he’ll discuss the impact of exploiting fine details. He’ll also show some of his non-macro abstract work. Lastly, he’ll briefly share his perspective on AI in photography and how it fits into his workflow. Lenny has exhibited his work in various venues across New Jersey, including Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Mayo Performing Arts Center, and the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion. You can review some of his work on his Instagram page at https://instagram.com/lennysfineartphotos/. [video to appear]
February Program Chair – Jim Fleischmann
- Feb 6 – "Here’s Why Summit Has One of the Finest School Systems in New Jersey" – Our speaker Scott Hough was appointed superintendent of schools in Summit in 2020 (during the pandemic) after a term as assistant superintendent in New Providence. He will give us an overview of the system and describe the impact COVID-19 had and how he dealt with it. He will also discuss critical issues facing all school administrators, such as bullying, security, and safety. The appeal of Summit as a place to live is supported by its excellent public schools. [video]
- Feb 13 – "Everything You Didn’t Know about Union County" – You may not have known that Union County was the last county created in New Jersey, in 1857. Today its very diverse population is equal to that of Wyoming, and its budget is half a billion dollars. You’ll be surprised about a lot more that will be shared by our speaker, who for administrative reasons cannot be committed much in advance. Amy Wagner, the deputy county manager, spoke authoritatively about law enforcement, parks, public works, health services, economic development, and much more. [video]
- Feb 20 – "Remarkable Advances in Brain Surgery" – Our speaker Dr. Yaron Moshel is co-director of the Gerald J. Glasser Brain Tumor Center at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center. He is one of a select few surgeons who specialize in removing deep-seated brain tumors using technology that includes computer-guided navigation, awake intraoperative brain mapping, endoscopy, and microsurgery. Dr. Moshel will explain how the convergence of precision medicine, advanced robotics, and specialized imaging are fostering new breakthroughs in the treatment of brain and spine tumors. [video]
- Feb 27 – "Is the Library an Anachronism in a Digital World?" – With so much information accessible online, is a public library still relevant? Amy Behr-Shields is the director of the Summit Free Library. She will explain how the library is needed to curate reliable sources of information and to manage the complexities of digital and non-digital media, while serving as a community center and a welcoming environment. [video]
January Program Chair – Bob van der Valk
- Jan 2 – "Nutrition and Aging Myths" -- Speaker Kathleen Bassiacos imagined herself as a nurse since age 11 and now has over three decades of nursing experience in oncology, geriatrics, assisted living, and home care. Now at Unicity Healthcare, she keeps her patients’ health at the forefront, focusing on “crisis management mixed with adaptability.” Her patients are the elderly, who are the most at risk for being negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her presentation will include not only nursing, but also treating the myths surrounding aging and nutrition. [video]
- Jan 9 – "Outreach at the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs" -- Our speaker Melanie Hazim is the director of outreach at the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, which aims to protect us from becoming victims of consumer fraud. She speaks to thousands of people yearly. She also directs the New Jersey High School Consumer Bowl and works with her team to educate students about consumer issues and scams they may face in their future, using a fun game show setting. We’ll hear vital advice from Melanie. [video to appear]
- Jan 16 – Speaker Joe Kane is a prevention specialist with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ, which is composed of concerned individuals representing the best interests of “problem and disordered gamblers” and their families. He joined the organization following a career on Wall Street and in the mortgage industry. The Council focuses on educating the general public, training professionals, referring gamblers and their families to treatment, and advocating for increased treatment services. Joe will help us understand compulsive gambling and the need for support. [video]
- Jan 23 – "Highway Infrastructure Financing – Past, Present, Future" Our substitute plenary speaker that day was Old Guard member Marv Gersten, who grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, graduated from Brooklyn Technical HS, and, intrigued by the planning and construction of the Eisenhower Interstate and Defense Highway System, began a 52-year consulting engineering career specializing in traffic and transportation engineering. Marv provided an update on the status of highway infrastructure financing alternatives. He was inspired by Mitch Erickson's Old Guard talk "Travel - It Ain't What It Used To Be" which touched on our crumbling infrastructure and funding needs. Following Marv's talk, we brainstormed about how new technologies can make some of the alternatives practical. [video]
- Jan 23 (talk was canceled by the speaker at the last minute due to an emergency. It may be rescheduled) – "Registration for Organ and Tissue Donation" – By registering as an organ donor, you may change – or save – someone’s life. Iveth Gonzales is a team leader in the New Jersey Sharing Network, with personal experience from when her father was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. She will explain organ donation, its benefits, and how it is organized.
- Jan 30 -- "Senior Medicare Patrol" -- Medicare is for seniors, it expends many billions of dollars, and it must deal with the hazards of fraud. The Senior Medicare Patrol of New Jersey is a federally funded program of the US Administration for Community Living. There is an SMP in each state. Charles Clarkson, is an attorney and a project director for the SMP under the auspices of Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County. He will explain how to detect and how to report Medicare fraud and related healthcare scams. [video]
