December Program Chair – Leon Lubranski
- Dec. 3, 2024 – Giving Artificial Intelligence Some Common Sense – Guest speaker Ronald J. Brachman, PhD, is director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech in New York, and an internationally known expert on artificial intelligence. He will speak about AI and common sense. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Dec. 10, 2024 – FBI vs. Organized Crime – Our speaker James Kossler was a coordinating supervisor for the FBI’s office in New York, and was responsible for directing its Organized Crime unit. He will speak to us about the FBI’s battle against organized crime. [in-person and on Zoom]
- Dec. 17, 2024 – Old Guard Holiday Celebration – Please come and join your fellow Old Guard members in celebrating the holiday season and the coming new year!!! [members and their guests only]
November Program Chair – Joe Corona
- Nov. 5, 2024 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) – Our
speaker Joel Kampf is a West Point graduate and a management consultant
who will speak to us about diversity, equity, and inclusion, including
in the military academies. [video to appear]
- Nov. 12, 2024 – A Brewery in Summit, NJ? -- Chatham resident Will Dodge will speak on running a brewery, running a business in Summit, NJ, and starting a business in the midst of Covid. [video to appear]
- Nov. 19, 2024 – New Jersey Cannabis Legislation – Invited speaker Nicole Corona is a law partner at McCarter & English. She will talk about cannabis legislation in the State of New Jersey. Everything that you wanted to know! [video to appear]
- Nov. 26, 2024 – Erectile Dysfunction – Our speaker Michael Giasulo, MD, is a urologic surgeon whose credentials include teaching at NYU. He will talk about causes, symptoms, and treatment for the common condition affecting half of men over 40 years of age. [video to appear]
October Program Chair - Mitch ErIckson
- Oct. 1, 2024 – The Toucan and the Sublime – Some of the discoveries
made in the New World in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were
just too much for European natural history to handle. Among those
curious new discoveries was the toucan, whose forms and functions
remained a mystery for well over a century. Join Rick Wright in a
historical, literary, and artistic exploration of the halting reception
of this outlandish tropical bird in early modern Europe. After an
academic career, Rick now leads bird and art tours for Victor Emanuel
Nature Tours in Europe and the Americas. He also publishes extensively
about birds. [video link available to members on request]
- Oct. 8, 2024 – Prison and Bail Reform in NJ – New Jersey is one of the
states that has struck the right balance on bail reform. It has
eliminated cash bail, lowered pretrial detainee prison population and
actually made New Jerseyans safer in the process. That cannot be said of
other states such as New York. Our speaker Charles B. McKenna is a
partner with Riker Danzig in Morristown and is the former executive
director of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and chief
counsel to Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey.
[video to appear]
- Oct. 15, 2024 – Ladies Day Luncheon – No Meeting
- Oct. 22, 2024 – The Carbon Almanac – The Carbon Almanac is a best
seller! Our speaker Robert Gehorsam will discuss how this book came to
be written, and in particular, describe how it came to exist—300
volunteers from 42 countries with little to no expertise in climate
science or in publishing—and more importantly, why his project has
become a compelling model for collective action in climate control going
forward. Robert currently advises several climate-related investment
funds and research firms, consults to a wide range of technology
start-ups and impact-oriented nonprofits, and has had a career as a
corporate media and tech executive as well as start-up founder. He’s
been an advisor to DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and
just completed teaching an undergraduate course on entrepreneurship and
social impact at Grinnell College, where he earned his B.A. in
religious studies and English literature. [video to appear]
- Oct. 29, 2024 – How to Value Priceless – Valuations of Intellectual
Property, Business Startups, and Who is Investing -- What are the
methods of valuation of an early-stage company? Such methods provide
entrepreneurs with a set of criteria that are essential to persuading
both customers and investors effectively. Our guest Chris Droussiotis
lives in New Providence and is co-founder and senior partner at Kinisis
Ventures (a seed, pre-seed business startup investment firm). He
lectures at Columbia University, and is the author of three books.
[video to appear]
September 2024 Program Chair – Larry Cunningham
- Sept. 3, 2024 – Cultural Differences Observed during Project Development in Russia – Old Guard member Larry Cunningham will share some of the cultural differences between the U.S. and Russia that he observed during the development of the De-Kastri Crude Oil Export Terminal Project in Russia. It is not surprising that life, standard of living, and approach to project development would differ between a capitalist-based society and a communist / socialist-based one. [no video]
- Sept. 10, 2024 – The USS New Jersey Battleship – The USS New Jersey is the most decorated battleship in U.S. Navy history. It earned distinction from 1938 until 1991 during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and conflicts in the Middle East. It has steamed more miles, fought in more battles, and fired more shells in combat than any other battleship in history. Speaker Libby Jones, who is director of education for the battleship museum, will highlight some of the ship’s capabilities and what the recent $10 million dry-docking program rectified. [video]
- Sept. 17, 2024 – The Road to a Major League Career – Our presenter Steve Balboni will highlight the road taken to define his career in Major League Baseball, starting with his childhood growing up in NH and his love of baseball from a very young age—the road from being a nine-year old not making the little league team— to being drafted by the NY Yankees. He will cover his experiences playing for the Yankees and the KC Royals, including some of the highlights of his career and some of the people who helped him along the way. He will talk about the ups and downs of his career and how it eventually led him to coaching and then scouting. [video to appear]
- Sept. 24, 2024 – Turtles, Frogs, and Snakes Found at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge – Guest speaker Randi Emmer of the Friends of Great Swamp, returns to Old Guard to give us an account of the types of turtles, frogs, and snakes that reside in the Great Swamp, which was the first national wildlife refuge in the country. [no video]
August 2024 Program Chair – Pete Bolton
- August 6, 2024 – International Law – Speaker Jerry DeFrancisco will talk about international law in theory and practice. Dr. DeFrancisco has had a long and distinguished career in management serving as president, Humanitarian Services, American Red Cross, and 30 years at AT&T serving in various executive positions. He has had extensive experience in international business affairs. [no video]
- August 13, 2024 – How Do You Know the Good Stuff? – Empire Antiques is a vast collection of old objects, large and small, valuable and not so valuable, housed in a two story building in Hightstown NJ. Much of the inventory comes from high-end estate sales. Auctions are held from time to time. Sonnie Baden and the business founder & owner Gene Pascucci will describe the collection and the business, and then appraise some items brought by members of the audience. [video]
- August 20, 2024 – How to Turn an Old Barn into an Arts Center – Speaker Leslie Workman, Board President, Farmstead Arts in Basking Ridge, will describe the mission and activities of the center, which include classes, art exhibitions, concerts, and performances. [video]
- August 27, 2024 – A Centenarian’s Lifetime and WWII Recollections – Centenarian and WWII veteran Sydney Levit will tell us about his combat experiences and some lifetime recollections. Sydney will be joined at the podium by his daughter and by his close friend and former Summit Bank banker Suzanne Currie. [video]
July 2024 Program Chair – Tom Leane
- July 2, 2024 – Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County NJ -- Our speaker is Gary Greenberg, Executive Director and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County
NJ. Gary will recount how he has dedicated his career to developing the
organization's programs and partnerships which benefit thousands of
at-risk youth in Hudson County. [video]
- July 9, 2024 – Advances in Cancer Research -- Speaker Pat Morin, PhD., is the deputy scientific and communications director for the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, based in New York. He will discuss the history of the institute, its programs at 11 research centers around the U.S. and Europe, and current developments in cancer research. [video]
- July 16, 2024 – Symbolism in Landscape Painting -- Old Guard member Mike Martin will present a talk on Symbolism in Landscape Painting. Mike had a career in the pharmaceutical industry, and now devotes his time to his new passion, art and painting. He has studied at the Arts Students League in NYC and the Summit Center for Visual Arts. Mike will relate to us the importance of symbolism in landscape painting and walk us through specific examples. [video]
- July 23, 2024 – Seton Hall Pirates Insight -- Speaker Bryan Felt, Seton Hall University athletic director, will tell the story of Seton Hall athletics, including the recent NIT championship, the building of a new basketball practice facility, and the success of other sports teams, notably golf. He will also share his knowledge of what NAACP's NIL is (name, image, likeness) and how the NIL portal works. [video]
- July 30, 2024 – The Success of a 150-Year-Old Educational Institution -- Speaker Michael Gomez, Ed.D., president of St. Peter’s Preparatory School, will describe this downtown Jersey City institution that educates students from all over New Jersey and New York City. Dr. Gomez will also describe how student aid works, the continuing process of updating 150-year-old historic structures, and the tremendous success of its student body. [video]
June 2024 Program Chair – Bill Tittle
- June 4, 2024 – What is New Jersey Doing to Keep Retirees in NJ? – Our speaker, NJ Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz is the minority budget director and a member of the Budget, Health and Budget Oversight Committees in the New Jersey Assembly. [video]
- June 11, 2024 – Shadows of the Mind: A Theory of Human Consciousness – Speaker Robert Potok holds a Doctor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from MIT, and has spent his career as a data scientist and research director both in the physical and marketing sciences. He will discuss how consciousness ties to overall human life experience. He states that relationship is expressed in many of the “ship” words: friendship, stewardship, apprenticeship,authorship, brinkmanship, censorship, etc. All these words describe qualities of human experience and are meaningless without consciousness. [video]
- June 18, 2024 – How the Universe Came to be Smooth and Flat: The great challenge for gravity and cosmology – Our speaker is Paul Steinhardt, the Albert Einstein Professor of Physics at Princeton University. According to Wikipedia “Steinhardt is best known for his development of new theories of the origin, evolution and future of the universe.” [no video]
- June 25, 2024 – Does Anyone Have a Credo? – Speaker and MPC William Tittle, a former Director of Old Guard, will attempt to bring the previous three speakers’ ideas together by building a theme that converges their talks covering politics, human consciousness, and the universe in which we live, with the idea of a personal credo on what we each conclude about life. Multiple 20th century philosophers have had a go at this weighty topic. It should be interesting. [video]
May 2024 Program Chair – Allen Hamilton
- May 7, 2024 – 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. [video]
- May 14, 2024 – 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. (Note: Due to a scheduling conflict, Gary asked his Corporate Wine Director Gillian Sciaretta to pinch-hit for him.) [video]
- May 21, 2024 – Genealogy & Ancestry.com – Old guard member 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. [video]
- May 28, 2024 – 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. [no video]
April 2024 Program Chair – Pete Bolton
- Apr 2, 2024 – 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. [video]
- Apr 9, 2024 – 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,. [no video]
- Apr 16, 2024 – 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. [video]
- Apr 23, 2024 – 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. [video]
- Apr 30, 2024 – 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. [video]
March 2024 Program Chair – Matt Wyvratt
- Mar 5, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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]
February 2024 Program Chair – Jim Fleischmann
- Feb 6, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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, 2024 – 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 2024 Program Chair – Bob van der Valk
- Jan 2, 2024 – 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, 2024 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. [no video]
- Jan 16, 2024 – Compulsive Gambling – 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, 2024 – Highway Infrastructure Financing: Past, Present, Future – Our substitute 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, 2024 (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, 2024 – 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]
