July WAG Magazine by Westfair Business Journal

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LOCAL ALLSTATE AGENCY:

Meet Londiaz Agency I’ve gotten to know many local families as an Allstate agent in Norwalk. I enjoy being a part of the community, and building local relationships is one of the best parts of my job. I know what life is like here in Norwalk – that you choose your car and your home to fit your lifestyle and your budget. I also know how important it is to do the same when it comes to insurance. I look forward to getting to know you and helping you to find the solutions that meet your needs. Part of what I like best about my job is that I can offer customers options for a wide variety of coverage and services. You can depend on me to help you look at the big picture. I’m committed to helping Norwalk residents assess their immediate and long-term needs and choose options that will help them achieve their goals. When you want to explore options for protecting your home, personal property, or financial future, I’m available to answer your questions. If you’re already a customer, I’m ready to review your coverage so that you can make any necessary adjustments to fit your changing needs. Call me today.

Johanna Londono 203-866-1133

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CONTENTS J U LY 2 0 2 2

10 12 16 20 22 26 30 34 38 42 46 50

Editor’s Letter Blending family and finance Investing in their clients – and themselves A lucky, smart move into finance Integrating work into life Maintaining home improvement standards Giving kids a second home Plan A for nonprofits Curating the dresses of your dreams Beyond the movies A global perspective on the arts Living the good life – A marriage of true minds

54 58 62 64 66 70 72 74 78 80 82 84

A modern escape in Greenwich Portuguese pizzazz for the home Retail therapy for the home Dive right in to Navy watches Where the Wylder things are Basque-ing in Spanish wines The romantic return of La Crémaillère Seeking empowerment through beauty and wellness Understanding intermittent fasting Supplementing modern life When & where Profits & passions Hiral Shah, a private client adviser at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in Mount Kisco, and wife, Vidya Bhat, principal of the Waverly Elementary School in Eastchester with their two sons, Bodhi and Asher. Photograph by John Rizzo.

Build habits to help you maintain boundaries in and out of work By Ivonne Zucco

bout three years ago, a speaker at a training introduced me to the idea that attempting to separate work from life, as in “work-life balance,” was unreasonable because work is part of life. Most of us spend about a third of our lives working, and, if we have healthy habits, another third sleeping. This idea of work-life balance then leaves us with the notion that labor takes away from what we have left of “life” and makes us judge ourselves when personal time is interrupted by business endeavors. Conversely, the saying “if you do what you love, you will not work a day in your life” also sets false expectations. Most jobs are profit and results-driven endeavors. Because of its transactional nature, it is unavoidable to feel apprehension, even when we are passionate about what we do. The perceived internal and external pressures of our jobs feel stressful. Setting and maintaining boundaries during and after work hours can help us find enough time to recharge. Here are ten habits that can help you find balance. 1. Wake up every day around the same time and set a morning routine that allows your brain to awaken gently. For example, you can take time in the morning to center by exercising, drinking your tea or coffee in a quiet space, or doing a chore that allows you to be in the present moment. 2. Set a time to start your workday and try to stay away from doing work before then. Create a ritual to begin your business day. By following the same steps every day, you will create predictability, which will help you ease into your daily tasks. 3. To organize your day use micro and macro to-do lists. Macro is the project you need to complete; micro are the steps that will get you there. By subdividing your lists, projects won’t seem

10.

so overwhelming, and you will get a better sense of completion. During the day, separate time for activities that require focus in your calendar and stick to it. Set your timer to 20-25 minutes intervals of focused work. During this dedicated time, do not allow yourself to check any forms of communication. Allow a 15-30 min buffer between meetings to write your notes and get your follow-up started. Practice good email hygiene. Separate two or three blocks of time during the day to respond to messages and resist the urge to look in between those times. Be sure that you are clear and consistent about your available times for work-related requests. Use all the tools that technology provides: Automatic replies, email signature, voicemail greetings (office and cell phones), and be consistent with it. Most people will be amenable to you setting these boundaries, but they need to know what to expect. Decide a way you will communicate with your team and with those you are serving when you are out. For example, you can set up guidelines on how to communicate with you for affairs that can wait until you are back, and who to reach for urgent matters. Try to eliminate alerts and applications on your phone that distract you from your recharge time. Decide in advance what time you will end working and have an end of the workday routine. Reviewing your to-do list is an excellent way to close your day. You will feel prepared for the next day and disconnect knowing that things are under control. If you are a manager, demonstrate healthy work routines by example. Do not contact your team after work

hours or on weekends. Most email systems now have a feature to schedule emails to be sent at a later time. The last three years have made many reconsider the value of work as we knew it. Industries are suffering the consequences of people understanding that they cannot blindly comply with the demands imposed by our old way of working. Eventually, things will settle down, but will we be better off when this happens? I believe that we could be as long as we learn to balance the emotional toll our job has on us, so it does not interfere with rest and recovery time. To learn about creating balance in your life, visit my website and schedule a 15-minute complimentary exploratory session in the services section: www.abetterstorycoaching.com.

IVONNE ZUCCO is a Transformational Career Coach. She works with individuals searching for fulfillment and balance in their careers and with companies working towards intentional culture change by using a pragmatic approach to help them advance from where they are to where they want to be with clarity and purpose.

Dream Kitchens and Baths CRAFT-MAID ■ BIRCHCRAFT ■ HOLIDAY ■ CABICO ■ STONE ■ QUARTZ ■ CORIAN ■ DECORATIVE HARDWARE

Dream Kitchens and Baths Dee DelBello

Dan Viteri

PUBLISHER dee@westfairinc.com

CRAFT-MAID ■ BIRCHCRAFT ■ HOLIDAY ■ CABICO ■ STONE ■ QUARTZ ■ CORIAN ■ DECORATIVE HARDWARE

CO-PUBLISHER/CREATIVE dviteri@westfairinc.com

EDITORIAL Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com FA M I LY

O W N E D

A N D

O P E R AT E D

S I N C E

Jeremy Wayne FEATURE WRITER jwayne@westfairinc.com

19 6 5

ART KITCHEN & BATH, LTD.

50 ver Hills, ting o ebra10507 CelNY

164 Harris Road, Bedford 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com

years!

Dan Viteri CREATIVE DIRECTOR dviteri@westfairinc.com

H O U R S : FT UA EMS I- LFYR I O1 0W: 3N0 AEMD- 5AP N M DS A T O 1P 1EA MR A- T4 PEMD | S GI CN LCI CE. #1W9 C6- 156 2 2 4 - H 0 5

Sarafina Pavlak ART DIRECTOR spavlak@westfairinc.com

Alexandra Cali DIGITAL MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER acali@westfairinc.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Alexandra Cali, John Rizzo

KITCHEN & BATH, LTD.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

164 Harris Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 914.241.3046 | www.euphoriakitchens.com H O U R S : T U E S - F R I 10 : 3 0 A M - 5 P M S AT 11 A M - 4 P M

Edward Arriaza, Gina Gouveia, Phil Hall, Peter Katz, Debbi K. Kickham, Justin McGown, Doug Paulding, Giovanni Roselli, Gregg Shapiro, Barbara Barton Sloane, Jeremy Wayne, Cami Weinstein, Katie Banser-Whittle

G C L I C . # W C - 16 2 2 4 - H 0 5

PRINT/DIGITAL SALES Anne Jordan Duffy ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/SALES anne@westfairinc.com

Congratulations to the 40 Under 40 Recipients

Mary Connor, Barbara Hanlon, Larissa Lobo MARKETING PARTNERS

MARKETING/EVENTS Fatime Muriqi EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR fmuriqi@westfairinc.com

CIRCULATION

We are proud to recognize our very own Jaclyn O’Connor, MD, at Bridgeport Hospital, and Jessica Lake, Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Ambulatory Services at Greenwich Hospital for being selected as two of this year’s 40 under 40 honorees.

Daniella Volpacchio ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER dvolpacchio@westfairinc.com Gregory Sahagian ADVISER

WHAT IS WAG?

Irene Corsaro ADVISER

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.” We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 4 Smith Ave. Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Telephone: 914-694-3600 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914-694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

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Fortune & Forbes REBUILDING AMERICA | FAIRFIELD/WESTCHESTER

Building Relationships and Communities The First Bank of Greenwich’s genuine commitment to customers and small business owners helps communities thrive.

Frank J. Gaudio, President and CEO 203-302-4375

“I

eat, breathe, and sleep customer service every day of my life,” says Frank Gaudio, President and CEO of The First Bank of Greenwich. “I’m an accountant by nature, but my passions are personal relationships and business development. That’s how I built the bank.” Native to Westchester, Gaudio is deeply invested in the success of local businesses, customers, and the community. At The First Bank of Greenwich, Gaudio is keenly aware of his bank’s tremendous role within the community. “We play a greater role than ever in providing critical business loans, supporting neighborhood nonprofits,

PORT CHESTER 500 Westchester Avenue Port Chester, New York 10573 Tel 914.908.5444

and investing back in the community,” he says. “People associate community banks with just retail banking, but we provide so much more.” That includes a full range of services, from business banking to residential lending and commercial loans. In fact, The First Bank of Greenwich backs residential loans up to $8.5 million, with substantially higher limits on joint venture lending. “We did 19% loan growth last year alone when all the other banks hit about 5% because they can’t match our expertise,” Gaudio says.

Personal Banking, Unparalleled Service “On personal banking, we provide unparalleled service, hands down,” says Gaudio. While corporate banks provide a lot of products, they don’t prioritize customers like community banks do. “But when it’s time to buy a house or start a business, customers deserve help from someone who can guide them through the process. “To be a good lender, you have to understand your customer and their needs—and that requires a one-on-one relationship,” he adds. With decades of local experience, Gaudio’s team matches

GREENWICH 444 East Putnam Avenue Cos Cob, CT 06807 Tel 203.629.8400

STAMFORD 900 Summer Street Stamford, CT 06905 Tel 203.413.6101

speed with longevity. All financial decisions are made quickly in-house by dedicated lenders committed to long-term partnerships. “I make certain customers never experience routine turnover at the branches. From our branch managers to our lenders, our team has been with us a long time—so when customers come back in the future, they get personal service from a team they know and trust,” Gaudio says. Opened in 2018, The First Bank of Greenwich’s Westchester branch provides even more opportunities to connect with the community. The bank’s advisory boards bring business owners together to learn, network, and grow, which brings more exposure to local small businesses. Across The First Bank of Greenwich’s three area banking centers and beyond, customers can count on dedicated service and personalized banking solutions right in their community. “So many of our customers have been with us for life. We’ve helped them open their first account, and now we’re helping them purchase a home or expand their line of credit,” Gaudio says. “We service the customer relentlessly. That’s our mission, and it’s why our bank is so successful. If you’re looking for a relationship with someone who will be by your side as you grow, we’re that bank.” www.greenwichfirst.com | NMLS#: 510513

444 E Putnam Avenue Cos Cob, CT 06807 203-629-8400 greenwichfirst.com NMLS# 510513

AND SOLUTIONS GROUP

PRISM PLANNING

Financial planning is an essential part of life. For 30+ years, and as a local woman-owned LGBTQ business, it has always been my focus to help underserved and marginalized communities have the financial security we all deserve. We understand the challenges of those following a unique path and are dedicated to simplifying the financial intricacies of life. Whether it is budgeting, buying a home, saving for college or planning for retirement income, our team guides our clients through the sometimes overwhelming processes involved. When our clients anticipate life changes or need LGBTQ+ planning services, we are all about empowering them to pursue their dreams and passions while ensuring they feel well cared for, informed, and secure during all stages of their lives. My roots are right here in Westchester County. I live in the house I grew up in and have chosen to remain in the community that I love. My parents often felt like outsiders; my mother was a first-generation immigrant, and my father was the first in his family to go to college. I was humbled as they instilled in me the belief that if you work hard and do your absolute best, you will be provided with the opportunities needed to succeed. My commitment to provide financial planning access to those who don’t see themselves as necessarily fitting in is rooted in these values. It wasn’t my plan to launch a business during the pandemic. I had already begun the process when I found myself in the middle of this life-altering crisis. Should I put things on hold or not? I decided to move forward. This was a critical decision on my part. As we found ourselves in this situation, it was even more essential to provide access and develop trust. Clients needed help sorting through large amounts of data and putting their finances into context. It was the perfect time to launch. During this pandemic we have all re-evaluated our priorities and my team and I re-confirmed how much we value each client. It has never been more important or more needed to make our clients feel secure and well cared for. I see myself as a bridge builder. Uniting people, thoughts and ideas through compassion and care. We created community. Last year our monthly client calls evolved into weekly calls which generated vibrant dialogue. I realized that many of our clients live alone and we created much needed personal connection. As we move forward into this post-pandemic phase and recovery, we will continue with the valuable practices we put in place, having learned the profound value of community, connection and caring. Yours truly, Julia Peloso-Barnes CEO, Prism Planning and Solutions Group phone - 914-831-3050 fax- 914-831-0714 info@PPSGRP.COM WWW.PPSGRP.COM

You’re Special.

We Think So Too. We are Financial Advisors all about empowering you to pursue your dreams and passions while ensuring you feel well cared for, informed, and secure during all the stages of your life. We simplify complexity and make the daunting digestible. If you are following a unique path, be it what you do, where you live, or who you love — you’re likely to encounter complex circumstances, and might even feel marginalized or excluded. We understand those challenges and are dedicated to simplifying the financial intricacies of your life.

We get you. And we’ve got your back.

(914)-831-3050 • PPSgrp.com info@P info @PPSgrp.com PSgrp.com Julia Peloso-Barnes, CFP®, ADPA®, CRPC®, CPM® 777 Westchester Ave, Suite 101 • White Plains, NY 10604

WAGGERS T H E TA L E N T B E H I N D O U R PA G E S

EDWARD ARRIAZA

JENA A. BUTTERFIELD

PHIL HALL

LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

DEBBI K. KICKHAM

WILLIAM D. KICKHAM

JUSTIN MCGOWN

FATIME MURIQI

DOUG PAULDING

JOHN RIZZO

GIOVANNI ROSELLI

BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

ABBE UDOCHI

JEREMY WAYNE

CAMI WEINSTEIN

FROM CONCEPTION TO COMPLETION A full-service development and construction company, we bring a unique and well‑rounded perspective to every project we oversee.

Approvals Brownfield Consulting Construction Financing

Design & Development Management & Marketing IT Consulting

CAPPELLI ORGANIZATION | 7 RENAISSANCE SQUARE • 4TH FLOOR | WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601

914-769-6500 | @CAPPELLIORG | WWW.CAPPELLIORG.COM

KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

EDITOR’S LETTER BY GEORGET TE GOUVEIA

When we think of finance, we may think of cold, hard cash and unfeeling numbers. But the people you’ll meet here in WAG’s first finance issue can truly be said to put the “personal” in personal finance — a subject that may be more important than ever in this challenging economy. Indeed, Larry M. Elkin, founding president of Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC, told Phil that apart from an aptitude for complex financial and legal issues, what he looks for in a job candidate is “the interest to emphasize the personal rather than the financial in personal financial planning….Very, very few people have as their primary goal to die with the biggest possible net worth. They've got a whole lot of other more important goals and often conflicting goals, and helping people identify those objectives, prioritize them, resolve conflicts and then plan successfully to meet them really challenges us.” Solving those challenges means having a relationship with the client. “We're part of my clients' lives,” cover subject Hiral Shah, a private client adviser at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in Mount Kisco, tells Peter. “Most of my clients know my wife. Most of my clients have met my kids. We are truly a part of my clients' lives, because they're inviting us into theirs….” For Shah, it isn’t just about client connections. It’s also about him connecting with his team — and with himself. “There's a balance of that worklife cycle, appreciating the beauty that nature has to offer,” Shah says of time spent outdoors with his family and their rescue dogs. It’s a motif that runs through the articles here. “Recently, I heard that it is no longer work-life balance, it’s work-life integration,” says Becky Lansen, senior vice president and general manager

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In the Sunken Garden of Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah for the opening night of its annual summer music festival. Photograph by David Hochberg and Ned Kelly.

of Venmo at Sychrony financial services in Stamford, named one of the 15 most powerful women in banking by American Banker in part for spearheading the creation of the first credit card for Venmo, PayPal’s money transfer app. Despite coordinating a team working remotely, Lansen tells Justin that she commutes from Rhode Island, kayaks in the morning and admires the sunset while walking her dogs along a beach. (Dogs are another recurring theme here.) The connection between the personal and the professional is so strong at Neuberger Berman that William Peterson, one of the firm’s managing directors, likes to tell the story of a certain social services agency that put him, once a foundling, on the path to a brilliant life. Today, that agency is his biggest client. If the name Neuberger Berman resonates in these pages, it’s partly because its primary founder, the courtly Roy R. Neuberger, was also the founding patron of the Neuberger Museum of Art on the Purchase College campus. Nonprofits like the Neuberger Museum are a different species, says Evan M. Kingsley, co-founder of Plan A Advisors, which combines planning and fundraising strategies for nonprofits: “In the for-profit world, the bottom line

is the bottom line,” Kingsley says. “But the measure of success (in a nonprofit) is its impact on the community or audience it desires to serve.” Like Kingsley, Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe has built a career in the nonprofit world — in her case, one that has bridged the Far East and the West. On Aug. 15, she’ll become executive director of the Katonah Museum of Art, having served most recently as Asia Society’s vice president for the Global Artistic Programs at the society’s 14 centers, director of the society’s museum and co-founding artistic director of its triennial. Clive Davis made his name in the for-profit world as the music mogul behind the careers of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Whitney Houston. But as Jeremy discovered, he saw an opportunity to patronize the nonprofit world by backing the transformation of the Bedford Playhouse “to offer quality films, yes, but also to really create an active arts center with lectures and concerts.” We take a break from making money to spend some with a little retail therapy at Mary Jane Denzer, the couture boutique in White Plains that has thrived amid the pandemic thanks to judicious planning, and with our home design columnist Cami Weinstein, who’s set up shop in East Hampton. If you’re still in the mood to shop till you drop, you’ll want to watch for the end of August sale at Casafina, a long-established Brewster wholesaler of upscale Portuguese kitchen and tableware that opens its doors to the public six times a year. ( Jeremy has a sneak peek.) And you’ll want to keep an eye out for Skinner’s Aug. 9 auction of a stainless-steel, water-resistant, antimagnetic Tornek-Rayville TR-900 Dive Watch, (circa 1964), produced for the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team, now the Navy SEALs. Katie has the lowdown on a timepiece whose

estimate ranges from $70,000 to $90,000. (It’s a mere bauble compared to our Sotheby’s House of the Month, a mid-century modern oasis in Greenwich that’s yours for close to $3 million.) Hey, we can dream, can’t we? You’ll have fun dining with Jeremy at La Crémaillière in Bedford, newly reopened, and traveling with him from the refurbished Wylder Wyndham hotel in upstate New York to St. Tropez in the south of France or slipping next door to sip Mayor de Migueloa wines with Doug in Spain’s Basque region. Or sit back and enjoy our dual profile of the delightful David Gordon, M.D. and wife Marissa Pessl. She’s a New York Times best-selling novelist — who got her literary start in finance. He's regional chair of neurosurgery for Northwell facilities in Westchester County. Together, they’re a marriage of true minds. Or kick back with our new Profits and Passion feature about Paul Okura, the president and CEO of CMIT Solutions of Southern Westchester in Eastchester, who feeds his soul by ballroom dancing. Like the Richard Gere character in “Shall We Dance?” Okura has learned that you don’t just live to work. You work to live. A 2020 YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester Visionary Award winner and a 2018 Folio Women in Media Award Winner, Georgette Gouveia is the author of “Burying the Dead,” “Daimon: A Novel of Alexander the Great” and "Seamless Sky" (JMS Books), as well as “The Penalty for Holding,” a 2018 Lambda Literary Award finalist (JMS Books), and “Water Music” (Greenleaf Book Group). They’re part of her series of novels, “The Games Men Play,” also the name of the sports/culture blog she writes. Last year, her short story “The Glass Door” was published by JMS and exhibited in “Together apART: Creating During COVID” at ArtsWestchester in White Plains. Her latest story, “After Hopper,” is also available from JMS Books. For more, visit thegamesmenplay.com.

bartaco Swim Collection To splash into summer, bartaco relaunched their limited edition Fair Harbor shorts, following huge demand for last year’s offering, which sold out in just a few hours. Additionally, for the first time ever, bartaco debuted women’s navy boardshorts featuring the brand’s signature dragonfly and designed to be worn in or out of the water. All of the shorts are perfect for an active, outdoor lifestyle and are made for a stylish transition from beach to bar and beyond.

Fair Harbor Men’s Swimwear: •

• •

Available in two styles – the blue + white stripe, and dragonfly print - Fair Harbor’s signature beachwear is made from upcycled plastic bottles for versatile comfort that considers the ocean. The collaboration is inspired by bartaco’s coastal vibes and relaxed environment, and Fair Harbor’s motto of living for today + enjoying every moment in your favorite places. Fair Harbor’s Bayberry trunk style is made with a builtin BreezeKnit liner instead of mesh, and is 80% recycled polyester, 12% cotton, 8% spandex. Comfortable elastic waistband with drawstring. Price: $72 Sizes S - 2XL

Women’s Navy Boardshorts Details: •

• •

Made of 100% polyester microfiber, and featuring a hook + loop closure fly with lace tie closure + right side patch pocket with flap closure, the women’s shorts are moisturewicking + fast drying for the highest comfort Price: $60 Sizes: 2 – 14

All swim items are available for purchase at bartaco’s marketplace: bartaco.com/shop, which also features other summer necessities like a bartaco cooler, cocktail shaker and a bartaco paddle board game.

Hiral Shah, a private client adviser at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in Mount Kisco, and wife, Vidya Bhat, principal of the Waverly Elementary School in Eastchester. Photographs by John JULY 2022 WAGMAG.COM 12 Rizzo.

BLENDING FAMILY AND FINANCE BY PETER KATZ

It doesn't take long after meeting and chatting with Hiral Shah to realize that he's a family man with a difference: His family doesn't end with his wife, Vidya; their sons, Bodhi and Asher; their daughter, due to arrive this month; and their two dogs, Seven and Chewy. Indeed, for Shah, the idea of family extends to the people he sees as a private client adviser at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management in Mount Kisco.

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“We're part of my clients' lives,” Shah tells WAG. “Most of my clients know my wife. Most of my clients have met my kids. We are truly a part of my clients' lives, because they're inviting us into theirs. I think the most important part of this is having my spouse really be supportive.” Shah explains that the spousal career support is mutual. His wife is the principal of the Waverly Elementary School in Eastchester, where she is known by her professional name, Vidya Bhat. He says that following and encouraging the development of her career was for him as significant as developing his own career. “She went from teacher to assistant principal of the high school to now principal of the elementary school and getting a doctorate in education during that entire time at night,” Shah says. “Supporting each other I think breeds success in itself. It makes the marriage all that more successful, to support each other.” Shah says that he makes a major effort to ensure that when he's not spending time with clients he's spending time with his immediate family, either at home in Purchase or out and about. “There's a balance of that worklife cycle, appreciating the beauty that nature has to offer,” Shah says. “This is why we live in Westchester County — visiting parks and playgrounds and walking with our rescue dogs and teaching my kids sports and athletic skills and knowing that I'll one day be able to coach them and encourage them. The important part is making sure that the work-life cycle is intact.” Part of that work-life balance is supporting The Beagle Rescue League, a nonprofit in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that is dedicated to saving Beagles, educating the public about the breed and finding permanent homes for rescued Beagles, including some that had been used in laboratory research and were specially bred for the purpose. “We have adopted a few dogs

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The Shahs' younger son, Asher, has a ball. Right, Hiral Shah with sons Bodhi and Asher.

along the way,” Shah says. “We drove to Pennsylvania with the thought of, 'Hey, we're going to find one,' and sure enough, we found our dog Seven. Our other dog: We went to a shelter in Long Island and just fell in love with Chewy. He is a small enough dog that the kids can play with. He’s got this overbite and that's what led to the name Chewy, as in Chewbacca from ‘Star Wars.’”

JERSEY BOY

Although Shah was born in Dakor, India, he moved to New Jersey with his parents when he was 9 months old. He grew up there in Wallington before moving to Paramus, where he attended Paramus Catholic High School.

He graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark with a degree in computer engineering, having minored in mathematics and business. “Schooling actually served as a catalyst for my desire to pursue personal wealth management,” Shah says. “I recognized that computer engineering wasn't really my true calling. I didn't really have a passion for it as my other roommates did there and decided not to pursue that as a career opportunity. In my third year of study, I engaged in a business internship with a financial firm, and this experience sparked my interest in what I could bring to this field.” While pursuing the internship in Somerset, New Jersey, he fell

completely in love with the financial field, particularly in helping companies find financing. “I think that internship really opened my eyes, because I really saw people in all areas kind of help find ways to help a corporation or a person,” he adds. He became aware that he could apply the problem-solving skills and discipline that were inherent in computer engineering to wealth management and making financial decisions. “I'm a problem solver. I love solving problems,” Shah says. “I just kind of realized that problem-solving allows me to kind of think above and beyond the typical algorithm, your typical logic. The most gratifying part of this is

sitting right next to you. You kind of pick up everything you can instantly.” After a couple of years, Shah went to a larger financial firm and served as a registered investment associate, working with a large team.

helping the client work to achieve their financial goals and live their best lives. If I'm finding my true calling, why not help clients live their best lives? You get to make a difference one person at a time.” His first job out of college involved cold-calling, making lots of telephone calls searching for clients. “It was a small brokerage firm,” he recalls. “I loved the energy. I loved the camaraderie. There were no cubicles. There were just long desks and people working at 7 a.m., and sometimes you'd still see the same people there at 8 at night. It was just a great atmosphere when you're first getting started, getting firsthand experience, and your managers are

MAKING A PLAN

On Oct. 5, 2016, Shah — who has two decades as a financial adviser, 13 of them in Mount Kisco, and has become a Certified Financial Planner — received the new Emerging Financial Leader Award at Westfair Communications’ “CFO of the Year Westchester County” event. At that time, he says, receiving the award reminded him, “I not only have a lot more to learn and grow, but I have a lot more to contribute to the profession to make it better for the next generation of finance scholars.” The most rewarding aspect of being a financial adviser? That would be when the team manages multigenerational wealth, he says:

“What I mean by that is managing the grandparents, their kids and now the grandkids. That to me demonstrates high degrees of established trust and client satisfaction, because people only want what's best for their family and close friends. We're a part of our clients' lives and vice versa. That's the power of relationships and I think that's the number one reason why I find my role so fulfilling.” WAG asks Shah how he and his team at J.P. Morgan would go about getting to know a new client and coming up with financial planning recommendations. “First, my full team and I would sit down with you to discuss your financial and personal goals, current financial situation, cash needs and your risk tolerance,” Shah says. “Learning about you would help us then put together a goals-based analysis and offer our recommendations to help you make the most of your money. If working with a married couple, we typically like to work with both spouses to make sure both

are involved in the planning process and aligned. I offer my clients a very personalized level of service but am also able to offer them the global resources of JPMorgan Chase, such as award-winning J.P. Morgan research and educational content and professionals in banking, mortgages, estate planning and more.” Shah says that the forward leaps in technology have been beneficial for maintaining close contact with clients and executing financial plans: After all, that's what families do best — stay connected. “Our focus is our clients. We want to offer them a frictionless experience and the ability to connect with wealth management professionals who can support their needs. Some tools have changed over the years and are making my job more efficient. I’m talking about digital signatures and virtual meetings, but at the end of the day, it is about staying connected.” For more, visit jpmorganwealthmanagement.com.

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Investing in their clients – and themselves BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

When William J. Peterson was a baby – the child of a young mother abandoned and left homeless – a New York-based social services agency facilitated his adoption, delivering him into a fulfilling life. Today, that organization is his largest client. It’s a testament to life coming full circle, says colleague Laurie A. Davis. But it’s also a metaphor for the way the personal and the professional blend at Manhattan-based Neuberger Berman, a private, independent investment management company owned by its employees. There are no outside influences on investment choices. At Neuberger Berman, “100% of employee-deferred cash compensation is directly linked to team and firm strategies,” as per its website. Or as Peterson,

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a managing director and senior wealth adviser, puts it: “We eat our own cooking.” Neuberger Berman’s recipe for success? Start with classic financial ingredients, including 669 investment professionals — out of more than 2,500 employees — in 37 cities across 25 countries who have decades of experience in asset management, most of it at the firm. (Its retention level for senior investment professionals is 96%, says Davis, a senior vice president and wealth adviser.) Then add diversified portfolios tailored to each client’s needs. Some clients have short-term goals, which Neuberger Berman can accommodate. But the quintessential NB clients — individuals, corporations and foundations — play the long game with a blend of equity, fixed income, private equity and hedge fund instruments that nonetheless allow for cash flow. “You have to be able to eat well and sleep well,” Peterson adds. The result is a firm — one whose past and present have strong ties to Westchester and Fairfield counties — with 90%plus client retention rate and $447 billion in assets.

THE ART OF INVESTMENT, AN INVESTMENT IN ART

It’s also a firm that the newspaper Pensions&Investments has cited as “one of the best places to work in money management.” Peterson and Davis credit the collegial atmosphere. “We’re all coworkers here,” Davis says. They’re surrounded by some 500 works of contemporary art in various media that the firm began collecting in 1990, offering tours to clients. (When Lehman Brothers acquired Neuberger Berman in 2003, it also acquired the artwork. Five years later, Lehman Brothers would fold amid the Great Recession. In July 2010 and May 2011, the newly independent Neuberger Berman repurchased a good deal of this work from the Lehman Brothers estate.) But then, Neuberger Berman has always been about investing in art as well as the art of investing. The firm was founded in 1939 principally by Roy R. Neuberger, perhaps just as wellknown to our readers as the founding patron of the Neuberger Museum of Art. Witty and aesthetic — Peterson quotes him as describing the

“I am prematurely bearish when the market experiences a prolonged ascent, when everybody is pleased because they’re growing richer. And, conversely, I’m very bullish when the market drops perceptibly, because I feel it has already discounted any troubles we are going to have.” – Roy R. Neuberger, principal founder of Neuberger Berman and founding patron of the Neuberger Museum of Art Photographs courtesy Neuberger Berman. JULY 2022 WAGMAG.COM 17

Headquartered in Manhattan, Neuberger Berman has offices in 37 cities in 25 countries.

stock market as “the only market people run from when there’s a sale” — the Bridgeport-born Neuberger was as passionate about art as he was about playing tennis. Indeed, during several interviews in the course of his 107 years on this earth (1903-2010), he told us that the reason he got into the financial game was to support artists, so outraged was he after reading in Floret Fels’ “Vincent van Gogh” (Paris, 1928) that the painter sold only one work, “The Red Vineyard” (1890), in his lifetime. “Roy’s first (financial) job was in a bucket shop,” Peterson says, so-called because young assistants like Neuberger would take chalk from a bucket to record the gains and losses of Dow 30. In one of the great Wall Street stories, Neuberger shorted 300 shares of the most popular stock of the day, RCA (Radio Corpo-

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ration of America), betting it would tank from its lofty height of $500 a share. When the market crashed in 1929, ushering in the Great Depression, Neuberger lost only 15% of his money as others lost everything. He would go on to collect a Who’s Who of modern art, including Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and especially Milton Avery, whose Matisse-like, color-block style made him Neuberger’s favorite artist. And though he liked to joke that his good friend and fellow collector Nelson A. Rockefeller — former New York state governor and vice president of the United States under Gerald R. Ford — twisted his arm to donate 300 works from his collection to establish the Neuberger Museum of Art in 1969 as part of the con-

servatory-style State University of New York, College at Purchase (now Purchase College), he always said he hoped to inspire a new generation of art patrons.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES

That philanthropic legacy is also part of Neuberger Berman. We first met Peterson and Davis at the recent fundraising luncheon for Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, The Fund for Women & Girls, where the firm sponsors a table annually. As part of its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) investing, Neuberger Berman is a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, whose goal is to achieve net-zero emissions in accord with the Paris Agreement. In addition, the firm operates a program of volunteerism, mentorship and partnership through

the Neuberger Berman Foundation, says Maria Angelov, who leads the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts and serves as president of the foundation (annual budget of $1.75 million). Among the organizations that Neuberger Berman has worked with, Davis says, are Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester in Mount Kisco, The Guidance Center of Westchester in Mount Vernon, the Neuberger Museum of Art, Volunteer New York! In Tarrytown and the Westchester Land Trust in Bedford Hills. Neuberger Berman has also done beautification projects in Connecticut with the YMCA of Stamford and Save the Sound in New Haven. “Ninety percent of grant recipients are recommended by employees,” who do everything from sitting on boards to providing boots on the ground, Angelov says. Peterson, who studied economics and psychology at Fairfield University before finding his way to Neuberger Berman in 1992, hasn’t forgotten his humble roots. He mentors at-risk youths and heads a nonprofit instructional sailing program. A graduate of the University of Delaware and a Fordham University M.B.A., Davis is a board member of LIFT-New York, helping people achieve economic stability. Says Angelov: “We care about the communities we live and work in.” For more, visit nb.com.

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A lucky, smart move into finance BY PHIL HALL

In 1992, Larry M. Elkin walked away from his position as senior manager for personal financial planning and family wealth planning at the now-defunct Arthur Andersen LLP to create his own company out of Hastings-on-Hudson. This was not the first time that Elkin made a dramatic career switch: From 1978 to 1986, he was an Associated Press reporter before leaving the media business to work at Andersen, which at the time was the nation’s largest accounting firm. (It folded in 2002 after being convicted of obstruction of justice as the auditor in what would become the Enron scandal.) Meanwhile, Elkin’s one-man company, which he named after himself, evolved into the Palisades Hudson Financial Group, with its headquarters moving to Scarsdale in 2002 and then Stamford in 2017. The firm also set up offices in Florida, Georgia, Oregon and Texas to handle its nationwide client base. WAG recently spoke with Elkin about his three-decade journey as the head of his own successful financial planning company:

Congratulations on your 30th anniversary in business. Why did you decide to start your own business in 1992? “Well, I was pursuing personal and family financial planning at Arthur Andersen. They were a major international accounting firm, and I used to describe the audit practice at Andersen as the dog and the tax practice — which my

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career was — as the tail of the dog and the personal finance practice as the flea on the tail of the dog. To do what I wanted to do and to do it in the manner that I thought it should be done, it made more sense for me to leave Andersen than to stay.”

Was it easy starting your own business back in 1992? “I'm not sure I would say that starting one's own business is ever easy. But it was a good moment in time to be doing it. Technology had advanced to the point that the information resources that one would need to practice at the same level as a larger firm, and the barriers to entry on the regulatory side were considerably lower than they are today. “I can say that I was born at the right time and matured professionally at the right moments.

Sometimes it's just better to be lucky than smart.”

Looking back on the 30 years the company's been in business, what do you see as your greatest triumphs and your greatest challenges? “They're really the same thing. I set out to create something that could exist independently of me. Most professionals, if they hang out their proverbial shingle, are looking to get enough work to keep themselves busy until one day they land face down in the corn flakes — and that wasn't what I wanted to do. “I wanted to build something that could attract the kinds of clients I wanted to serve and then continue to serve them even at some point in the future when I wouldn't be there. The great success was in accumulating the team that we have here — almost all of

whom started their careers with us and many of whom are now past 20 years — and watching them grow professionally while helping them grow to the point that they are now the people on whom our clients lean. In some cases, we're in the fourth generation of client families that we're working with. One person can't do that in one working lifetime. “A lot of credit has to go to my wife (Linda Field Elkin). She had an M.B.A. before I did and we had very young children when I started the business. Her support and letting me leave the corporate world and start the business was critical, or else none of this would’ve happened. But also, she has been our director of HR and marketing for almost all of these 30 years. These people of whom I am so proud were, in most cases, identified and initially recruited by her and by associates working with her.”

What type of people do you look for as employees in your company? “We've been hiring and I did an interview with a candidate this morning. There are a few things that we look for — one is just the prerequisite of a strong aptitude for complicated financial topics and legal topics. “The other piece that we're looking for is the interest to emphasize the personal rather than the financial in personal financial planning. Business is much more straightforward — you have metrics when you're looking at the bottom line for profits or return on investments — but very, very few people have as their primary goal to die with the biggest possible net worth. They've got a whole lot of other more important goals and often conflicting goals, and helping people identify those objectives, prioritize them, resolve conflicts and then plan successfully to meet them really challenges us.” In view of the disruptions created over the past two years by Covid and the ongoing disruptions from our inflationary economy, what are you

hearing from your clients regarding the current state of the economy and how it affects their finances? “Of course, our clients are concerned about government finances, and they're concerned about the direction of policy and the inconsistency of policy we've had. Since the federal income tax was enacted in 1913, we've had over 30 permanent tax laws. So a permanent tax law has a life expectancy of around three and a half years and planning in those environments is challenging. “On the other hand, one set of our clients is my generation or older, and we've been here before. We've seen a lot of cycles, including inflationary cycles, and we know they can be addressed. Younger clients come to us to get our perspective and let us educate them. When we work with them, it's with the idea of developing plans that they will stick with when hard times come, regardless of the nature of those hard times.”

Larry M. Elkin, CPA, CFP, founding president of Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC. Courtesy Palisades Hudson Financial Group.

What does the future hold for the company in the next 30 years? “A cake with a whole lot of candles for me. I get inquiries on almost a daily basis from entities that would like to buy this company. I don't respond to any of them. I don't take those calls. I have no interest. “I've organized the firm so that it should stay in family control beyond me. Both of my daughters have their own careers, but they are on a management board along with my wife and along with our managing vice president Shomari Hearn. And it is Shomari who will be in charge if tomorrow I get run over by a beer truck, as one of our Alabama clients likes to put it. “The people that have grown up in the business will manage it and run it. They've been trained to do so with a very light hand of guidance from me. And the family will essentially try to maintain the culture and the values and the priorities that have made us what we are. So with luck, the next 30 years produces more of the same.” For more, visit palisadeshudson.com.

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Integrating work into life STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN MCGOWN

At the height of the pandemic, many of Synchrony’s employees worked from home instead of at the financial firm’s collegial Stamford campus. Nevertheless, Becky Lansen, senior vice president and general manager of Synchrony’s Venmo portfolio, was able to take the PayPal money transfer app’s first credit card from conception to implementation despite her team being scattered across the map and seldom able to meet in person. It’s part of the reason she recently received an American Banker Women in Banking Next Award, naming her one of the 15 most powerful women in banking.

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“We built a really significant team,” Lansen says. “It was a 100-person team to help build and launch this credit card. We used agile methodologies to make sure we were 100% aligned on what we were trying to deliver.” What the team delivered was a product that should appeal to credit card users, even if they don’t have Venmo, owing to a dynamic rewards program. Instead of making customers choose a category for their 3% cash back, the card adjusts rewards so that customers always get 3% and 2% cash back to the highest and second-highest spending categories respectively. Everything else has a flat 1% cash back. For Venmo users, it has even more benefits. “A good example of it is we have the ability to split payments and have it pay your credit card bill,” Lansen says. “So if you and I went to dinner and I paid for it, you could either scan my credit card or I could go into my Venmo app and find the transaction and I

Becky Lansen at Synchrony’s Stamford headquarters.

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Becky Lansen.

could ask you to pay me $10 for dinner and then what you pay me goes directly to the credit card bill. “That’s a perfect example of how we were able to take Venmo’s front-end customer experience and Synchrony’s back-end banking experience and bring them together to create something that was honestly never done in the market before.” Working remotely to bring a product like this to market was, of course, also brand new. Lansen says that making a corporate campus a hub rather than the only “office” has had a lasting, beneficial effect that is nonetheless not without its challenges. “Communication was incredibly important,” she says. “So we had daily stand-ups to ensure that we were marching in the

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same direction, taking down barriers. The underlying theme of all that in my mind is that we brought every function in what was a very cross-functional endeavor along for the product journey.” Lansen drew on her experience earning an M.B.A. from New York University, her time in General Electric’s Experienced Commercial Leadership Program and her decade-spanning career at Synchrony. In her tenure with the company, she helped build out its digital deposits business after its purchase of MetLife Bank, essentially a new online banking system. Her work in strategic planning during Synchrony’s IPO (initial public offering) in 2014 as well as a stint in the firm’s Health and Wellness Division also yielded

valuable insights, including the importance of having a connection that is not solely job-related. “We had to work through hurdles and celebrate wins,” Lansen says. “We also carved out time to connect as people. That’s one of the biggest things with my team today. I love that we share videos of someone’s dance recital. Or if they got a new dog, they always have a picture of that.” In addition to working on diversity and inclusion initiatives, Lansen has also helped launch a program in which employees have opportunities to ask questions of and interact with Synchrony’s top leadership. These events have helped maintain an office identity. “Synchrony put the mechanisms in place to allow us to continue to innovate together,” Lansen says, “and we will continue to build the culture. I would say the Venmo team is just an example of the holistic culture

that Synchrony is creating. “Recently, I heard that it is no longer work-life balance, it’s work-life integration. I really like the term because some of the people who may have been Stamford-based originally have moved to alternate locations. “I’m an example,” she adds of her commute to Stamford from her home in Rhode Island. “I have two new dogs (Sava, a Pug, and Rhody, a 6-month-old ‘fullfledged mutt’). We walk on the beach every evening and watch the sunsets. We go kayaking in the morning. “Things that used to be vacation only for me have now been integrated into my life, and I love that,” she said. “I love that flexibility. I could probably name each of my team members and give an example of how they’ve integrated work and life together.” For more, visit synchrony. com.

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Maintaining home improvement standards BY EDWARD ARRIAZA

When the roof is leaking or the attic needs insulation, who you gonna call? Well, not Ghostbusters certainly but perhaps Franzoso Contracting.

Mark Franzoso, president of Franzoso Contracting. Photographs courtesy Franzoso Contracting.

Based in Croton-on-Hudson, the 42-year-old company deals with a range of home improvement needs, from roof repair and replacement to gutter protection to attic siding, window and door insulation, for customers in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties. “Almost 78% of our work is referral and repeat customers, which is pretty much unheard of in the home-remodeling business,” says Mark Franzoso, president of Franzoso Contracting. Random customer surveys conducted monthly by customer feedback platform GuildQuality have been glowing, he adds, with average customer satisfaction for May 2022 coming up at 99%. “We’re booking for August

already. We normally stay a few months booked up. Obviously, if you called one of my competitors, they could score the job next week or in two weeks. They’re using either subcontractors or they’re slow, and there’s got to be a reason for that.” Franzoso has no need for subcontractors. He cites his capable team as key to what makes his business special and successful. “We have the same teams and people. We have very little turnover,” Franzoso says, adding that from the moment when “the phone is picked up and the customer is addressed to the ground man cleaning up the last bit of debris on one of our installations, everyone takes

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pride in what we do.” Franzoso Contracting’s approach to building a cohesive team involves promoting from within its pool of established workers rather than hiring from outside. This may involve giving new responsibilities to an employee who, after about five or six years, has displayed initiative and ability working within a team. “If that particular individual was ready, we would support him with a truck and equipment and let him go out on his own and run jobs for us, be a team leader,” Franzoso says. The company has survived the direct effects of the pandemic well enough, he adds, with 2021 being an “incredible year.” However, like so many

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other companies, his business has been affected by inflation, and he has responded by raising prices. “Material is just going through the roof,” Franzoso says. “We’ve had to adjust our prices to cover not only the material, but there’s hard costs, insurance, gas.” Franzoso illustrates the high cost of continuing business by giving an example of a Trex deck board, which has gone from $3 a foot to $7 a foot recently. Franzoso Contracting buys many of its products by the trailer load in order to keep prices down, however, and it was able to dodge a large hike in prices for plywood as a result. “We have a big warehouse,” Franzoso says, “When plywood hit almost $100 a sheet, I was

able to secure 20 skids of plywood at $45 a sheet to keep our prices as low as possible.” Indeed, Franzoso Contracting’s ability to receive products others in the field are unable to, such as certain roofing and siding materials, is another reason for its success. Despite the challenges, Franzoso is confident that the company will be secure for the foreseeable future. “Home remodeling is at an all-time high, even though the cost of goods is so high,” he says. “People are investing in their homes, and we mostly hear, ‘Hey, you know, you were more than the next guy, but look what we got. We’re really happy.’” For more, visit franzoso. com.

Photographs courtesy Franzoso Contracting.

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Alyzza C. Ozer, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, with Chelsea C. Photographs courtesy Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester. 30 JULY 2022

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Giving kids a second home BY EDWARD ARRIAZA

Since it began more than 150 years ago, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has provided underserved children with after-school programs, offering them another home as it steers them toward completing their education in pursuit of successful careers. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester (BGCNW) in Mount Kisco is among the organization’s 4,300 member clubs serving the needs of that community.

“Over 70% of our after-school programming families are living below the poverty level,” says Alyzza C. Ozer, CEO of the Northern Westchester club. “In Westchester County, sometimes people don’t see that. People are seeing tremendous affluence… which obviously Westchester County has, but not everybody in Westchester County.” Ozer maintains that when underprivileged individuals in the county are given the same support and access to education as the privileged, they are then able to lift themselves up and become successful in their own right, giving back to the community that has served them. This outlook on education and community service was Ozer’s ethos even before she joined BGCNW in 2015. A graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, she spent more than 25 years in commercial

real estate, ultimately serving as managing director of JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) before combining her passions for business and philanthropy into a career in nonprofits. “I really enjoyed collaborating in a business capacity in terms of real estate and large corporates, primarily because of the people,” Ozer says. “But if I was fortunate enough to look back at my life, I would think, How can I best leverage my talents and my efforts?” Ozer served as the regional vice president of the American Cancer Society’s New York City chapter from 2011 to 2012 and as director of development and fundraising for the United Way of Westchester and Putnam from 2012 to 2014. Since joining the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, she has made fiscal stability a priority. Thanks, she says, to the

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Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester Youth of the Year finalists – Bryan J., Kacy E., Ellie S. and Zayaan H.

“extraordinary board leadership and community support and an incredible team,” the club has met its budget even through the pandemic and has increased revenue by more than 35%. That translates into programs. Working with Ladle of Love, a Bronxville-based takeout shop that began by offering homemade soup to firefighters after 9/11, the club’s food program provides meals made on-site for its members, including dinner, with more than 130,000 meals prepared each year. The aquatics program offers kids swimming lessons, teaching more than 70,000 children to be safe in the water, “Right now in the United States, drowning is the second cause of accidental death for children 7 and under, and that goes through all socioeconomic lines,” Ozer says. “That doesn’t have to happen. There are enough resources and enough pools available for

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everybody to learn how to swim and be water-safe.” Behind the club’s programs are more than 100 employees and more than 600 volunteers, most of whom were club members themselves, like Director of Aquatics Eric Mitchell, who had learned to swim at BGCNW. (More than 87% of former members of the Boys & Girls Clubs give back to their communities, Ozer says.) The return of members as volunteers reflects BGCNW’s success in instilling compassion at a young age. “The preschool kids, the 4-year-olds, they’ll make capes for other kids who are in the hospital so that they’re learning about the importance of empathy and caring for others,” Ozer says. “Our teens are involved in a host of different community service-oriented programming, not just relative to the club. And that then obviously changes the way that people look at things going

forward.” The Boys & Girls Clubs are also about transforming empathy into action. “One of the things that we teach the members is advocating on behalf of not just yourself but advocating on behalf of those who may not be able to advocate for themselves on important legislation,” Ozer says. Teenage club members have addressed the New York state legislature regarding after-school programming and food scarcity. “Not only are they passionate about it, but they also have the evidence behind them, the statistics behind them and an understanding of different ways of problem solving,” she says. In the near future, BGCNW is looking to branch out. The club will partner with Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants in White Plains to provide children in the fifth grade and up with

a mental health program that will also serve as a drug abuse preventive. “I think that since Covid has happened, some of the stigma associated with mental health issues has been lifted, and I think that the community in general understands that our children have been through a lot,” Ozer says. The team at BGCNW will also be expanding into Peekskill after securing funding through Westchester County as well as Peekskill’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and working with former Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey and current Mayor Vivian McKenzie. “We’re extraordinarily excited about finalizing the transaction whereby we would be moving into Peekskill with a full renovation of the Kiley Youth Center and providing services to the kids in Peekskill, to be able to serve more kids,” Ozer says. For more, visit bgcnw.com.

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Bruce Blasnik, Partner 203.705.4120 bblasnik@pkfod.com George Whitehead, Partner 914.341.7086 gwhitehead@pkfod.com JULY 2022

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Plan A for nonprofits BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Evan M. Kingsley and Adam R. Gaynor, Ph.D., founded their company in 2013 and called it Plan A Advisors, because as Kingsley says, “When you have Plan A, you don’t need plan b. Adam and I were both with another firm that was primarily focused on fundraising,” Kingsley adds, refering to The Whelan Group, a Manhattan-based consulting company whose clients include museums, colleges and human-service agencies. “We built a substantial planning practice to grow it.”

From left: Evan M. Kingsley and Adam R. Gaynor, Ph.D., partners; and Melissa Biffert, consultant, of Plan A Advisors. Photographs courtesy Plan A Advisors.

What they realized, Kingsley adds, is that “to do planning in a vacuum or to do fundraising in a vacuum is to do a disservice to both.” So they founded a company that would combine planning and fundraising strategies for nonprofits, whose challenges by the very name are different than those of for-profit organizations. “In the for-profit world, the bottom line is the bottom line,” Kingsley says. “The consultant is hired to tell the company what to do in order for the numbers to be in the black. “A nonprofit…is a whole different way of looking at success. Yes, the organization should strive to be in the black or have a surplus. It should have a balanced budget. But the measure of success…is its impact on the community or audience it desires to serve.” Plan A doesn’t tell its nonprofit clients what to do. Rather it gives them processes for achieving their goals. And it does this by keeping a manageable portfo-

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lio, Kingsley says, with no more than 12 projects at any one time, about a fourth of which are on retainer. The company has four full-time employees. Besides partners Kingsley and Gaynor, there is consultant Melissa Biffert, who joined the firm in 2016, having worked with nonprofits, public institutions and colleges; and project associate Dominique E. Tinsley, who served as manager of student services and teen programs at the Harlem School of the Arts. “The bigger you get, the harder it is for the principals to do the work,” Kingsley says of the reason for the small, tight staff. While that work might involve site visits and in-person meetings, it has always been mainly virtual. Due to Covid, “the world has caught up to us,” adds Kingsley, who lives in Pleasantville. In nine years, Plan A has done more than 120 projects for such organizations as the Darien Library; Fairfield County’s Community Foundation in Norwalk; the Greenwich Library; the JCC of Mid-Westchester; The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry; Mount Pleasant Public Library; NewYork-Presbyterian; Ramapo

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for Children, serving those with special learning and/or behavioral needs; the UJA Federation of New York; and the Westchester Reform Temple. (We first met Kingsley at the recent fundraising luncheon for Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, The Fund for Women & Girls.) “Generally, an organization comes to us with one or two needs,” Kingsley says. “Either the organization…wants to plot its strategy for the future or it has a fundraising challenge it has to meet.” Occasionally, he adds, those needs have to be rethought, but that’s only occasionally. At Plan A, there are what Kingsley calls four buckets of work. First, there’s strategic planning, the where-are-we-going bucket. The strategic plan might include a school or a museum’s need for accreditation from an organization like the Middle States Commission on Higher Education or the American Alliance of Museums. Plan A’s processes and products are designed to fulfill those accreditation requirements, Kingsley adds. The second bucket is the business plan. “We know where we’re going. Now how are we

going to get there?” The third is reserved for nonprofit mergers, helping two entities find common ground. The fourth bucket is all about capital campaigns, including feasibility studies. “We start every project with three months of research,” he says, which includes one-on-one interviews and focus groups. He likens the process to an hourglass, with the top half about research that is squeezed into the decision-making middle. The bottom half of the hourglass is the implementation of the decision or “where the rubber meets the road.” Growing up in South Florida, Kingsley always knew he’d be involved with nonprofits, because he was in love with art. In Manhattan, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Columbia University, a Master of Arts degree in American civilization from New York University and an M.B.A. from Baruch College with a concentration in management. Prior to assuming the presidency of The Whelan Group, he was executive director of the American Jewish Historical Society in Manhattan and a deputy director of the International Center of Photography in

Manhattan and of the Brooklyn Public Library. He was also president of the Brooklyn Public Library Foundation. His nonprofit-studded résumé also includes the New Museum and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, both in Manhattan, and the Prospect Park Alliance in Brooklyn. He and his wife, a professor at Hunter College in Manhattan, live in the Pleasantville Usonia community that legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright created to marry nature and design through the use of materials like wood and stone in modern structures that let the outdoors in. Architecture is a passion for Kingsley, as are cars, and he’s proud that his two daughters are making their way in related industries that were once reserved for men. One works for Sciame Construction LLC and is a project manager on The Frick Collection expansion in Manhattan. The other is in management, currently corporate treasury, at Volkswagen Group of America Inc. For them, there’s no need for plan b. For more, visit planaadvisors.com.

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Curating the dresses of your dreams BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

You would think that a store that sells couture clothing, particularly for special events, would have struggled greatly during the pandemic and maybe even folded. Indeed some have.

Anastasia Cucinella and Debra O’Shea, co-owners of Mary Jane Denzer in White Plains, toast their store's 40-plus years. Photograph by ChiChi Ubiña.

But not Mary Jane Denzer. A fixture in White Plains for 42 years, the luxury clothing and accessories boutique, nestled in one of the city’s twin Ritz Carlton Residences, has emerged from the past two years stronger than ever, thanks to its faithfulness and that of its clientele. “It was challenging,” says Debra O’Shea, who co-owns the business with Anastasia Cucinella. “We partnered very well with designers. We did not cancel our inventory, so we always had a flow of new merchandise….And that has sustained us.” “Also,” Cucinella adds, “our clients didn’t cancel anything — only one. It was amazing.” As a result of that layered loy-

alty, MJD is taking advantage of social trends, with none bigger than the return of weddings. From intimate backyard gatherings to the still-hot country barn affairs, rustic and romantic, to the full-on weekend destination extravaganza, “our wedding business has come back threefold,” Cucinella says. Clients come from the tristate region and beyond, including Colorado, Florida and Massachusetts, for quality merchandise accompanied by one-on-one service. On the day WAG visits, a mother of the groom drops in to pick up a deep blue cocktail dress whose floral accents enhancing its feminine silhouette. Another woman, a doctor’s wife getting

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ready for a gala, stuns in a strapless, Wedgwood blue mermaid gown that caresses her sylphlike frame. Hours are by appointment only. That was a Covid innovation, O’Shea says. But now, she adds, it has become a way to provide “full-on individual attention” at a time when service even in luxe department stores has become sparser and more frustrating, something we have personally experienced. “People feel safe here,” says Cucinella, pointing to the sleek, silvery-white store’s 5,000-squarefoot space. MJD’s success, however, belies what O’Shea describes as the fashion industry’s “dicey” Covid dance. Europe’s fabric mills have been owned for decades by people now in their 70s and 80s, many of whom closed shop during the height of the pandemic. A lot of seamstresses in the fashion houses are older women whom the virus forced into re-

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“IT WAS CHALLENGING,” SAYS DEBRA O’SHEA, WHO CO-OWNS THE BUSINESS WITH ANASTASIA CUCINELLA. “WE PARTNERED VERY WELL WITH DESIGNERS. WE DID NOT CANCEL OUR INVENTORY, SO WE ALWAYS HAD A FLOW OF NEW MERCHANDISE AND THAT HAS SUSTAINED US.”

tirement. Replacing them has not been easy. “Designers are still challenged,” O’Shea says. Thanks to her and Cucinella’s steady approach, however, MJD is not. The pair have taken on new brands like Maison Common, an 8-year-old German company known for its richly textured, patterned daywear and fanciful ball gowns — another big trend. Cucinella and O’Shea will be at fashion houses in New York City this month, then returning to Paris for the first time in three years this fall, to cull creations for what their elegant website describes as “a fashion museum,” curated by “style mavens and fit fanatics who understand necklines, silhouette, structure, proportions, color, fabrics, drape and body shapes.” The result? An apparently happy clientele. Or as the gala-going mermaid offers on the way out the door, “You always have the dress of my dreams.” For more, visit mjdenzer.com.

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As it was, The Bedford Playhouse in the 1950s. Photographs courtesy Bedford Playhouse. 42 JULY 2022 WAGMAG.COM

Beyond the movies BY JEREMY WAYNE

It’s hard to believe that the historic Bedford Playhouse — celebrating its 75th anniversary — faced extinction seven years ago. Bow Tie Cinemas, which had been managing the movie theater, pulled out and the stage, so to speak, was set for the red-brick building to be converted into a commercial space — most likely a gym or a CVS, according to Michael “Hoagy” Hoagland, the playhouse’s executive director.

The Bedford Playhouse today.

That was when local resident John Farr — independent viewer’s advocate, film curator and founder and operator of a movie-buff website, “Best Movies by Farr” — stepped into the breach. Spearheaded by Farr, other interested locals came together and formed Friends of the Playhouse, mounting a campaign not only to save the historic theater but to renovate and revitalize it. The friends found the startup capital they needed. An early seven-figure donation from legendary music producer Clive Davis got the ball rolling, and they raised a further $2.5 million in 10 weeks flat. No stop-gap measure, this was to be a complete restart, a physical makeover along with a rethink of the theater’s raison d’être, to make the playhouse relevant not only for the present but for future generations. Clive Davis — who discovered

Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen and whose Arista label attracted artists like Lou Reed and Carly Simon while launching the careers of Barry Manilow and Whitney Houston, among others — now found additional fame as the reborn Bedford Playhouse named its Clive Davis Arts Center in recognition of its benefactor. On a recent Zoom call with WAG, Davis — a gracious nonagenarian living in Pound Ridge — recalled how distressed he had been when he learned that the theater was closing. Asked how he had first become interested in the playhouse, he said he had always been impressed that the playhouse showed not just blockbusters but old films, classics and movies “demanding a stronger intellect.” He was grateful, he said, that the playhouse wasn’t just showing cartoons

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or special-effect movies (two of his particular bugbears, it would seem, although he did not express it like that). “For those of us who are interested in the best work,” he said, “I was concerned that communities like Bedford and Pound Ridge should have a (proper) movie theater.” When he was first approached to see if he were interested in helping preserve the playhouse, he saw it as a chance to build back better, as it were. “Here was an opportunity to broaden the playhouse, to offer quality films, yes, but also to really create an active arts center with lectures and concerts.” And that, he says, was what motivated his investment. But, of course, there was a philanthropic aspect to it, too. “I also considered it because in my lifetime, with both my parents passing away when I was a teenager, I was really dependent on the beneficence of others in order to go through college and law school. And this was a definite opportunity to give back.” Inside, the “old” playhouse was gutted. The main floor now boasts a small, 40-seat movie theater, named The Clive, while the smaller theater opposite it has high tables and chairs and seats that recline, so that audience members can lie semi-flat — the last word in moviegoing comfort. The main foyer also houses a café and bar. On the lower level, meanwhile, the main, 167-seat theater offers a similar kind of comfort, with a pukka concession stand in the foyer and a green room that serves as a winetasting room and also a “ready room” for visiting performers and speakers. The design is by Bedford interior designer Brittany Bromley, who, along with stylish touches (like the Oscar-replica door handles) has thoughtfully preserved the original restrooms, with their somewhat kitsch, lady-silhouette decorations. As for the upcoming calendar, it is breathtaking in its scope,

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although Hoagland explained how a fairly robust program had already begun pre-Covid. In line with Davis’ vision, the “new” playhouse was going to be more of a holistic arts center and not just a movie theater. The music programming, he told WAG, had really taken off and so had music in the café. “Then, 18 months later, the pandemic hit and that just changed everything,” he said. “Suddenly, there was no certainty in the film industry.” So Hoagland, whose career to date had been in live entertainment and who had only joined the playhouse mid-pandemic, had to think quickly and creatively. He recalled, “I started to think a little more along the lines of, “What does this place mean to our community?”, hoping that the answer to that question would assure the playhouse’s survival through the crisis. His approach would appear to have worked and in the last year, as the playhouse has started to bounce back, he has brought all his talents to bear, “building-out the programming” (as he terms it) so that there is even more variety. “All this, while still staying true to our roots, which is a movie house. We show first-run films. We have classic Tuesdays. We do a lot of documentaries. That’s what we do and it’s what the facility is set up to do.” Beyond that, Hoagland said, “we have to get (even more) creative, because we don’t have a proscenium stage. We have a small stage in front of the main theater, so that anything we do has to live in that small space, organically.” It’s the same thing, he added, with the café. “We have a limited amount of space, but we do piano bar nights. We do quiz nights. We do all kinds of different programming that hopefully people are attracted to.” He also points out that one of the things that started during the pandemic, that nobody ever thought was doable, was outdoor programming. “There’s a

Clive J. Davis, the inspiration behind the revitalized Bedford Playhouse and its Clive Davis Arts Center. Photograph by Fadil Berisha.

beautiful lawn next door, which is attached to the playhouse and is perfectly situated — flat at the bottom with a perfect natural gradient.” In 2020, while everything was still closed down, the playhouse offered two outdoor programs — one, a local singer and the other a presentation from the LawnChair Theatre company — both popular events not least because social distancing could be easily practiced. Indeed, they were so “wildly successful” that, last year, Hoagland said he decided to expand the performances and “see what would happen.” That’s how the “Broadway in Bedford” series got off the ground, with the playhouse bringing up four Broadway performers for four different outdoor concerts through the summer. That, too, he says, was a “huge success.” The series in turn laid the groundwork for further expansion this summer. Nine outdoor programs are on the bill, including a film festival in partnership with Katonah Classic Stage, a Sherlock Holmes radio play and a large number of music perfor-

mances — classical performances from Orchestra914, classic rock from Grandpa Moses and glorious song from singing sister duo, Lisa & Lori Brigantino. “It’s a lot more formalized this year. We even have a stage. And if it does well,” Hoagland said, “who knows, maybe there could be a plan for an amphitheater in the future?” Pressed to reveal his favorite act, he demurred, before rhapsodizing again about the “Broadway in Bedford” series. “It’s just some of the most spectacular things you would ever see on stage. The good thing is (the performers) do exactly what they want. It’s not like they’re stuck singing the songs from “Wicked” or whatever it is they happen to be currently in, or are associated with, or have to do every night.” He paused momentarily carried away by his own enthusiasm. “It’s a different type of joy that you see on their faces.” And that, it can be assumed, goes for the audiences, too. For more, visit bedfordplayhouse.org.

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Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe at the Asia Arts Game Changer Awards Gala, held in May at the Asia Society Museum. Photograph by2022 Elsa Ruiz.WAGMAG.COM 46 JULY

A global perspective on the arts BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

If there is one word that describes Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe and her career in the visual arts, it is “global.” As Asia Society’s vice president for Global Artistic Programs at the society’s 14 centers, director of the society’s museum and co-founding artistic director of its triennial, Yun Mapplethorpe has bridged East and West for more than a decade. Now she looks to continue that international outreach at the Katonah Museum of Art as its new executive director, beginning Aug. 15. She follows Leslie Griesbach Schultz, who has served as interim executive director since September 2021, and succeeds Michael Gitlitz, who concluded his three-year tenure as executive director in June 2021.

“I feel artists are the mirrors of their time, and they raise that mirror to what’s going on around them,” she says. “The way people react to art is so personal, very powerful…and it brings people closer together.” Given what Yun Mapplethorpe sees as the centrality of art to social discourse and her admiration for the Katonah Museum — a noncollecting institution with a $1.95 million operating budget and 19 staffers that offers an array of exhibits and programs — it’s not surprising that she is looking to broaden the museum’s presence on the world stage. And while it’s premature to discuss specifics, she says it’s fair to say that will include new marketing initiatives and outreach to business leaders. “We moved (from New York City) to Weston in 2017,” Yun Mapplethorpe says of herself, her husband, photographer Edward Mapplethorpe, and their 7-year-old son. “Being out here and seeing how our own community is hungry for art and culture, I’m really hoping to tap into these communities.” One way she will do that is at the Katonah Museum’s fall gala at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills. In the meantime, she will be taking the helm of a museum that is unique in our region. Founded in 1954 in the Katonah Village Library as the Katonah Gallery — the museum changed its name in 1990 when it moved to its modern, Edward Larrabee Barnes-designed home on Route 22 at Jay Street — the KMA does not maintain a collection but nonetheless presents exhibits and related educational programs spanning various cultures, periods and media. From July 10 through Sept. 25, the mu-

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Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe and Ronald A. Stroman, governor of the United States Postal Service, at the Lunar New Year-Year of the Tiger Commemorative Forever Stamp First Day of Issue Dedication Ceremony. Photographs courtesy USPS.

seum offers two shows with an international spotlight. “Tradition Interrupted” finds a dozen artists from around the world teaching old media new techniques as they marry past and present. “Remy Jungerman: Higher Ground” has the Suriname-born Dutch artist, who divides his time between Amsterdam and what was once New Amsterdam (New York City) presenting new examples of his “horizontals” and “verticals” (assemblages that hang on the wall or

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stand freely respectively); stacked “cubes” and fabric-covered “panels.” These shows join The Rothko Room, a meditative space that salutes the great color-field painter Mark Rothko with his “Untitled” (1969), and two outdoor sculptures by Manolo Valdés (through March 13) that echo art history — “Caballero,” inspired by Diego Velázquez’s equestrian portrait of Spain’s Philip IV; and “Butterflies,” a nod to Henri Matisse’s painting “Woman With a Hat.”

Meanwhile, Asia Society Museum in Manhattan is presenting one of its last major shows under Yun Mapplethorpe’s leadership. “Mirror Image: A Transformation of Chinese Identity” (through Aug. 14) considers 19 works by seven artists of the ba ling hou generation. Born in China in the 1980s, they came of age in a post-Mao Zedong period of Western-influenced, economic expansion even as they saw the results of a one-child policy that selected for boys, leaving whole

generations of men with too-few Chinese women to marry and putting those women and foreign brides from countries like Vietnam unexpectedly in the driver’s seat. (In Chinese culture, a son has been seen as more desirable than a daughter in part because he would care for the parents in their old age.) The overall effect, Yun Mapplethorpe says, is that the ba ling hou generation sees itself as part of a global contingent.

The Katonah Museum of Art.

It’s a fitting Asia Society swan song for Yun Mapplethorpe, who has bridged China and the United States in her personal as well as professional lives. Her parents left mainland China in the 1950s — her father for Taipei, Taiwan; her mother for Hong Kong. Eventually, they made their way separately to the United States where they met at the University of Michigan. Growing up in Michigan and Toronto, Yun Mapplethorpe had the kind of childhood that has helped define Asian Americans as “the model minority,” including exposure to the arts in places like the Detroit Institute of Arts. This was particularly true during her high-school years at the Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a group of prekindergarten through 12-grade preparatory schools known for their rigor in the arts as well as in academics, Yun Mapplethorpe says. At Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, she spent her junior year abroad studying art history. (Today, she’s on the board of the

college’s art museum.) Yun Mapplethorpe would go on to nine years at The Museum of Modern Art, first as a fellow and ultimately as a curatorial assistant in MoMA’s Department of Painting and Sculpture, where she had some of the most important mentor-mentee experiences of her career. During that time, she earned her Master of Arts degree in modern art and critical studies at Columbia University. (She’s also a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute’s Executive Education Program for Museum Leaders.) But always the Eastern part of her identity was calling her. She did her master’s thesis on two Chinese artists — printmaker and installation artist Xu Bing and multimedia artist Cai Guo-Qiang, who served as director of visual and special effects for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Working for Cai as project director of his studio, Yun Mapplethorpe got to be part of the games, an experience she describes as “pretty spectacular. I even went to the gold-medal women’s soccer match between the United States and Brazil.” (The U.S. won, 1-0.)

A stint at Pace Prints in Manhattan convinced her that “I was not meant to be in the commercial world.” She served as a consulting curator in Beijing and curator of the Hunter College Art Galleries, which led to her joining Asia Society as curator of modern and contemporary art. Rising in the ranks, she curated or co-curated more than 25 exhibits as well as developed and led the society’s 2021 Arts & Museum Summit, a three-day global convention that explored reimagined museum treatments of post-colonial narratives. Her success on two continents — she also visited her parents in Shanghai when her father was part of one of the first China-U.S. business partnerships as an executive with Ford Motor Co. — has given Yun Mapplethorpe a unique perspective on Sino-American relations at a critical juncture. She sees the two countries as perhaps surprisingly similar in some ways. “People should not look at China as monolithic,” she says. “They should look at it as a very diverse country with so many nuances. It’s a huge country with very sophisticated people.” She would also like readers

to know that the idea of Asian Americans as the “model minority” — entirely upwardly mobile as they send their children to Ivy League schools — is something of a myth. According to the Pew Research Center, Asian Americans have replaced Black Americans as the most economically divided racial or ethnic group in the U.S., with some subgroups doing extremely well while others lag far behind. Covid-19 has exacerbated economic challenges for places like Manhattan’s Chinatown, the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, as prejudice has led to store closures, verbal and physical assaults and in some cases even murder. In the depths of the pandemic, Yun Mapplethorpe, who has commuted into the city regularly — her husband maintains a studio there — says she “felt anxious.” Now she feels a little better and also thinks the city will rebound from its Covid challenges as part of its cyclical nature. Still, she says, “Asian Americans need help. They need our support.” For more, visit katonahmuseum.org and asiasociety.org.

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A marriage of true minds BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

You might not think that David Gordon, M.D., and Marisha Pessl would have much in common, much less — judging from their easy banter and laughter over the phone — a successful marriage.

David Gordon, M.D., regional chair of neurosurgery for Northwell facilities, and Marisha Pessl, The New York Times best-selling author of “Night Film,” “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and “Neverworld Wake,” share a life of the mind and life in general with their three young daughters (from left, Winter, Raine and Avalon) in their Bedford Hills “dream house.” Photographs by Alexandra Cali.

He is, after all, regional chair of neurosurgery for Northwell facilities in Westchester County, chief of neurosurgery at Phelps Hospital in Tarrytown and chair of neurosurgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. She is The New York Times best-selling author of the literary mystery/thrillers “Night Film,” “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and “Neverworld Wake,” a young-adult novel, all of which have been published in more than 25 languages. Indeed, the very thought of a neurosurgeon and a novelist together sets up a twist on the old joke: “A neurosurgeon and a novelist walk into a bar…,” which sets them to cackling. But as in Pessl’s fiction, things are not all that they seem. At Brown University in Providence,

Rhode Island, Gordon planned on being an English teacher “until I took the class ‘Introduction to the Brain’ and got hooked.” Still, he uses the communications skills honed in English to convey complex treatments and compassion to those facing dire diagnoses. As for Pessl — who did major in English literature at Barnard College in Manhattan with a minor in playwriting after a stint studying film at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois — her first job out of college was as a financial consultant, of all things. “In 2000 and 2001, it was very easy to find a job telling financial stories,” she says of the PowerPoint presentations she wrote for PricewaterhouseCoopers, the multinational professional services giant. “My assignment

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was with JPMorgan Chase & Co., assisting with its merger in the private banking sector.” Only she wasn’t just assisting with that merger. She was exploring the bank’s employee database to inspire names for the characters in what would be her first novel, “Special Topics in Calamity Physics.” Now she has Google. Still, she says, “I miss the JPMorgan Chase database.” So Gordon and Pessl are all about the brain — both the analytical and the creative sides of it — and its more poetic name, the mind. You could say they are the Shakespearean “marriage of true minds.” It’s not all they have in common. Start with three girls — 7, 5 and “2 going on 45,” Pressl says of their independent-minded third daughter. Then there’s the house in Bedford Hills. “It was kind of a whirlwind,” Pessl says of their 2020 exodus from New York City. “The pandemic accelerated everything. We said, ‘Let’s get this house.’ It turned out to be our dream house.” One in which she could replicate her pastoral childhood. “I grew up in Ashville, North Carolina, with lots of horseback riding. I wanted that kind of recreation for the kids.” New York City, though, was her first love — you know, all those stories and movies about writers finding success and romance as they take Manhattan. Gordon, too, fell in love with the city, moving there to train at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx after growing up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey — a suburb of Philadelphia — and attending Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed two fellowships, one in skull-base surgery at Roosevelt Hospital (now Mount Sinai West) in Manhattan and the other in

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Marisha Pessl and husband David Gordon, M.D.

From left: Winter, Raine and Avalon.

endovascular neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia. Throughout his career, which continued at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and NYU Langone Health in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Gordon has helped refine innovative techniques for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease, including brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and stroke. He specializes in open surgical and endovascular, catheter-based approaches to treat these conditions as well as in open and endoscopic skull-base surgery for tumors and vascular challenges. “There are great advance-

ments in catheter-based techniques,” he says, making an analogy to the treatment of heart disease. “Twenty, 30 years ago, it was still early, and you would have open-heart surgery. Today, the vast amount of procedures are catheterizations through the wrist or groin artery. We (in neurosurgery) have the equivalent. “Skull-base surgery has made real advances, too,” he adds, “in which we can access the base of the skull through the nose with a camera.” The results in both cases are less invasive procedures and better patient tolerance, he says. In mapping the infrastructure to support the most complex brain procedures at Montefiore

and Langone, Gordon was recruited to join Northwell in Westchester in 2020 and do the same. By then, he had met Pessl through a matchmaker in the city, married her and begun having children. Clearly, “matchmaker, matchmaker” did her job. Now the couple are ensconced in the suburbs, where he pursues the latest advances in neurosurgery and she prepares the sequel to “Night Film” and serves as executive producer and screenwriter on Amazon Studios’ adaptation of the book. When you’re a Westchester power couple, there’s always a next chapter. For more, visit northwell.edu and marishapessl.com.

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A modern escape in Greenwich PRESENTED BY SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY JULY 2022

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This 5,132-square-foot home on Hycliff Road by mid-century modern master Paul Rudolph lets its dramatic, mature landscape in. Drive through its stone pillars to enter a serene, idyllic world on 4.12 acres punctuated by the rushing sound of the Byram River. Inside, the sense of being one with nature continues in the living room and the screened-in porch perched on columns 25 feet above the property, which cascades down to the river 100 feet below. Rudolph oriented the house’s new, repurposed spaces to capture the western sunsets. Throughout the beautifully spare rooms — reminiscent of Japanese homes — building materials and structural features become visible artistic elements. This is characteristic of this architectural style, popular in the mid-20th century. (The house was built in 1957.) A generous primary suite and three other bedrooms — there are also four full bathrooms — plus a pool and a two-bedroom garage apartment offer a timeless experience. The house lists for $2,995,000. For more, contact Fran Ehrlich at 203-249-5561 or 203-618-3164 or Helene Barre at 203-550-0855 or 203-618-3123.

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Tableware by Casafina, the Portuguese home-goods wholesaler based in Brewster. 58 JULY 2022

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Portuguese pizzazz for the home STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY WAYNE

Business is booming at Brewster-based home-goods wholesaler Casafina. Established in Portugal in 1981, the company has a range of high-quality, sustainable products — comprising kitchenware, bakeware, tableware and gifts — all manufactured in Portugal, its beautiful stoneware, glass and other products still crafted by artisans. One of Casafina’s distinguishing features, from a business viewpoint at least, is that it actually owns its own factory in Portugal, so it can manufacture what it wants and what it knows will sell. This may sound obvious and redundant, but it does allow Casafina to offer a superb, European-made product to its American customers at competitive prices. In 2017, Costa Nova, a younger sibling, arrived in the United States from Europe for the first time. If Casafina is the more traditional, kitchen-leaning of the two brands, with its mixing bowls, batter bowls and cruets, Costa Nova is a little more contemporary, a little trendier. The price point between the two brands is

pretty much the same, says Matt Hullfish, Casafina’s affable general manager and vice president of sales, who welcomes WAG for a tour of the firm’s Brewster headquarters, and who promotes the brands as if they were much-loved children. “They’re even made from the same clay and fired in the same kiln,” he says. “Only the aesthetic and the end use separate the two.” The warehouse where all this merchandise is stored, is huge — 20,000 square feet — and packing is done on-site. (As we pass through the packing bays, a large shipment is awaiting dispatch to a Williams Sonoma branch in the Midwest, while another is headed to an independent store in State College,

Pennsylvania.) Casafina is also now in the third year of developing a hospitality arm, supplying hotels and restaurants with inventory. But while wholesale is the mainstay of the business, it’s Casafina’s long-established, bimonthly warehouse sale in Brewster that has put the company name on the local map. For five days every other month, Casafina opens its doors to the public for a jumbo sale primarily of goods from the Casafina factory in Portugal. Made up largely of seconds (rejects from the ranges but with flaws so small they are often imperceptible to the naked eye), these bazaars are enhanced with specially brought-in items, (a premium Portuguese virgin olive oil or gorgeous scented candles), to bulk out the sale and give it additional appeal beyond kitchenware. The warehouse sale mod-

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Abbey collection at Casafina warehouse sale.

Made in Portugal gifts on sale.

Casafina 2022 catalog.

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el differs substantially from a typical retail store. “The pizza guy wants — make that needs — people in his shop every day,” Hullfish says. “But we just want a lot of people coming in over the course of five days, every couple of months.” The company relies on its email database (7,000 names and counting) to notify past and existing customers about upcoming sales, although it is always looking to increase its foot traffic. These customers, or “end consumers” as Hullfish calls them, are strictly retail, “the Scarsdale (homeowner) looking for something for the home or just for gifts, that sort of thing.” A sneak peek at items slated for a recent sale gives a good idea of the variety of merchandise to be offered, first and foremost, tableware, dishes and casseroles, all manufactured at the factory, just north of Lisbon. But within a couple of hours’ drive of the factory, Hullfish adds, you can find everything from rugs, cork goods and placemats to candlesticks, tea towels, guest towels and even cosmetic kits, which are all good for supplementing the Brewster sales and keeping them interesting. Plus, the top-quality, extra-virgin olive oil, of course. The company puts out a new catalog each year (the heavy 2022 edition runs to 190 super-glossy pages), which is another reason it’s important to liquidize older merchandise as new lines and inventory become available. The Portuguese design and artisanal element add kudos and value. European-made goods can compete with Chinese products, Hullfish says. So when people come to the Casafina sales looking for a deal, they find one. “It’s also a bit of a treasure hunt,” he adds. “You don’t necessarily

go to HomeGoods to buy those white towels you’re used to buying. You go because you’re sure you’re going to find something that you need or that will be a bargain.” He says that going into a sale, customers don’t necessarily know what they need or want, but they invariably find something they do and that’s what keeps them coming back. About 75% of Casafina’s retail business comes from Westchester County, 15% from Fairfield County and the rest from Putnam County or farther afield. Casafina also supports its home county through Putnam CAP (Community Action Partnership), donating kitchen essentials or helping needier community members who are moving into new accommodations. “We like to give back,” Hullfish says modestly. Looking through the tantalizing goods being readied for the next sale, he proves himself as good a retailer as he is a wholesaler. He points out some dinnerware in beautiful patterns and confirms that it is all microwave- and oven-safe. In another stack of plates, labeled “seconds,” he conspicuously looks for flaws but is barely able to detect any. With a hand-sponged glaze, these small plates start at $6, the dinner plates at $10 — bargains indeed. “You see this covered casserole that sells for $50 retail?” says Hullfish, indicating yet another long table, full of casseroles, platters, bakers and pie dishes. “Come in and you’ll pay just 9 bucks for it.” Which in all senses is really the bottom line and why you would do well to go to Casafina in Brewster to shop. The next Casafina sale is slated for the end of August. For more, visit casafinagifts. com and costanova.pt/us/.

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Retail therapy for the home BY CAMI WEINSTEIN

As an interior designer, I am always interested in objects and how they look and feel. The advent of online shopping has brought so many of these products to us with the touch of a “key” on a computer. This Is wonderful for research purposes, cross references and easy shopping. But it doesn’t always allow you to visualize what the product looks like in reality. Many of our clients have issues with scale and color, both of which are not easy to navigate online. There are also quality issues to contend with. So many products look fantastic in a photograph, but if the price is so good as not to be believed, 99% of the time the quality of the piece is also compromised. As a general rule, I rarely pay attention to any reviews if they are given. A shopper myself, I like to be able to touch the object I am purchasing to see if it looks and feels like something I want to wear or put into my home. I want to know where the piece was made and have my questions answered by a knowledgeable salesperson. I want to enjoy the experience of shopping. Over the years, as online shopping has become more prevalent, especially during the pandemic,

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many brick-and-mortar stores have closed. Sadly, many communities’ commercial districts have been heavily hit and blighted by empty storefronts. Or stores have survived with skeletal crews — and even scarcer merchandise, due to Covid-related supply-chain issues — reinforcing the convenience of online purchasing. Lately, though, I am seeing more small shops popping up, many of which have a distinct highly curated point of view. Gift, accessories and furniture store combinations are cropping up in many municipalities again — the home furniture and accessories company Arhaus just opened a store at The Westchester in White Plains — and are wonderful additions. I am even seeing vintage stores making a comeback. A fun trip to browse these shops can yield many wonderful finds for my clients. Since many of these stores are highly curated, a trip with a client can be useful. The client can see the pieces in person, with many of the items available for immediate purchase. Often you can take pieces out on approval, which takes the guess work out of “how will it look in my house”? As a designer, I love to combine both new and vintage items in my work. Those special pieces added to your home create a more custom-curated look. Seeing them in person enables you to evaluate their texture and size as well as true colors. Often shops combine different colors of items and this allows you to visualize different color combinations, perhaps combinations you have not thought of. This can also make you comfortable with bringing colors, patterns and blends of both colors and patterns into your home once you have been able to see them in person. Color is having a comeback in interior design. Gray, beige and white are falling out of favor and earthy rusts, deep cocoa and greens are having their moment. If you are still timid about using

Cami Weinstein Designs LLC has opened a brick-and-mortar store in East Hampton. Courtesy Cami Weinstein Designs.

color, an easy purchase would be a throw, vase or some pillows in some of these newer colors. Color, of course, doesn’t have to be limited to the “colors of the moment.” Your favorite colors can also be used in your interiors. I always suggest clients look for accessories and artwork when they are on vacation. You are more relaxed then and open to ideas that you may not be when you are working or going about your daily routines. Among the added bonuses are the memories that are created when you bring these pieces home and remember where you were when you purchased them. I always suggest clients purchase artwork they love. Art is deeply personal and should only please you (and your significant other if you have one). I often look at an area that I want to purchase a piece of art for and have a rough idea of the size I am looking for. Then I consider if I am looking for

a painting, a print, a photograph. If it’s a painting, will it be framed or unframed for a more casual look? If it sounds as if I’m invested in in-person shopping, well, I am and have become more so. I have extended my interior design practice with a brick-and-mortar space in East Hampton. This will give me the opportunity to be both closer to many of my clients and to showcase carefully curated pieces of art to a wider audience. In time we are looking to add other interesting and unique pieces. We are open by appointment or by chance and look forward to seeing our many friends and clients who both live and vacation in the Hamptons. And, of course, we are delighted to meet new friends who enjoy interior design, decorating — and shopping — as much as we do. Cami Weinstein Designs LLC is at 8 Main St. in East Hampton. For more, call 914-447-6904 or email info@camidesigns.com.

Dive right in to Navy watches BY KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

Rare, scarce, unusual: Those words get our attention. And when they’re applied to an object – whether it’s a piece of furniture, a work of art, or an item of jewelry – they make us curious about the article in question. All too often, in a noisy marketplace filled with hyperboles, those terms really aren’t justified. Very few things are genuinely “awesome” or “iconic.” But in the world of watch collecting, one extraordinary vintage timepiece truly is rare. That watch is the Tornek-Rayville TR-900 Dive Watch. And Skinner’s Clocks and Watches auction in August will yet again offer one of these legendary pieces. Astonishingly, it will be the 10th time in 10 years that Skinner has been entrusted with the sale of a TR-900, they are so rare that Jonathan Dowling, Skinner’s director of clocks, watches and scientific instruments, notes that “the bigger auction houses have offered maybe one to three each over the last decade.” The backstory of the ultimate dive watch is fascinating in several ways. These complex, sophisticated timepieces were the forerunners of today’s multifunctional smart watches. TR-900s were the ultimate tool watches of their time — specialized instruments designed for use in the United States Navy’s underwater combat program, the elite special operations force now known as SEAL (Sea, Air and Land). With an unglamorous black face, black bezel and canvas strap, the watch was not an elegant, gleaming timepiece designed to

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impress. TR-900s were starkly functional stainless steel, water-resistant and antimagnetic, built tough and intended for serious work. The men who wore the watches — the first time a female sailor passed the grueling 37-week training course was in 2021 — faced situations in which they knew they might have to trust their safety, even their lives, to them. In the mid-1960s, the gold standard of dive watches was the Fifty Fathoms Mil-Spec, made by the Swiss manufacturer Blancpain. However, the 1933 “Buy-American Act,” still in effect then, prevented the U. S. Navy from purchasing the foreign-made watches, although they had been tested and approved by the Navy. Allen Tornek, a New York-based importer of Blancpain, arranged to supply the U. S. government with the required timepieces, rebranded Tornek-Rayville-900. In 1964 and 1966, a total of around 1,000 of the dive watches were ordered and distributed. But the radium used on the luminous dial was found to be a toxic hazard and the government ordered that most of the TR-900s be destroyed. Limited in number anyway, this move combined with the demanding conditions under which they were used meant that few examples — by some estimates less than 50 — have survived.

Tornek-Rayville TR-900 Dive Watch, (circa 1964), a rare, stainless-steel, water-resistant, antimagnetic dive watch produced for the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team, now known as the Navy SEALs, with the assistance of importer Allen V. Tornek Co. of New York. Sold for $118,750 at Skinner Inc.

Tornek-Rayville TR-900 Dive Watch, (circa 1965), a rare, stainless-steel, water-resistant, antimagnetic dive watch with a sweep-center second hand made for the U.S. Navy. Sold for $123,000 at Skinner Inc.

It’s not surprising that these truly scarce and seldom seen watches, described by Jonathan Dowling as “simple but stunning in layout, design, proportions and weight,” have a cult following. For devoted dive-watch enthusiasts, Skinner’s “Clocks and Watches” live auction on Aug. 9 offers a genuinely unusual opportunity to acquire a Tornek-Rayville-900. For those whose tastes run to other styles from other great watchmakers, the sale will offer dynamic neo-vintage and con-

temporary wristwatches from the likes of Patek Philippe and Cartier. The vigorous market in vintage watches, especially the multifunctional engineering marvels known as tool watches, continues. Skinner’s record-setting success in this category reflects the specialized expertise that makes Skinner a leading resource for both buyers and sellers. For more, contact Katie at kwhittle@skinnerinc.com or 212787-1114.

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Where the Wylder things are BY JEREMY WAYNE

For generations, winter guests at the Thompson House resort in Windham, New York, would complete one final task before leaving the hotel at the end of their annual stay: They would make their reservation for the following year.

Historic farmhouse building at Wylder Windham. Photographs by Michael Carnevale.

Sold last year by members of the Goettsche family, which has owned the property since 1880, the much-loved Greene County Catskills resort has now been rebranded as a Wylder hotel, joining other Wylder properties in Tighman Island, Maryland, and Hope Springs, California. Loved as it was, the old Thompson place was tired and urgently in need not only of some TLC, but some serious upgrades to its accommodations and facilities. And that’s exactly what it’s

had. Refurbed, refitted and even partially rebuilt, the “new” resort — which we had a sneak peek at ahead of a reopening slated for mid-month — was already looking spruce, primed to receive its first guests. Comprising 110 guest rooms and suites housed in seven lodges, inns, cottages and manors spread over 20 acres, and with 4,000 acres of event space, the reimagined resort offers spiffedup accommodations, a new restaurant and adjoining bakery

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Balcony with dog at Wylder Windham.

and a superb, heated swimming pool — and that’s just for starters. The room we viewed in the Tamarack Lodge next to the Main Lodge had a Carrara marble bathroom, cheerful kelims on the white oak floors and a (slightly “chocolate-box-y”) painting above the handsome red-velvet bed, dressed with high-end linens. A balcony with two inviting Adirondack chairs commanded a premium view of the pool. All rooms and suites have TVs and private bathrooms and most will also have air-conditioning, mini fridges and mountain views. The suites also have sitting areas and pull-out sofas, while some will have Jacuzzis, balconies and four-poster beds. And using a model that is “luxurious, but not too luxurious,” some smaller rooms will also be available for backpackers and younger guests on a budget, which is going to make for a great social mix, as will the pet-friendly policy. Phones, meanwhile, have apparently been ringing off the hook, with former loyal guests excited to see the “new” resort for themselves. “Everyone seems to have their favorite room num-

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ber or wants a specific room,” says Andrea Francisco, Wylder Windham’s director of sales and marketing. “They ask for suchand-such a room in whichever building it is, and we then need to try and locate the room on the plan as all the rooms have yet to be renumbered.” Inviting as the new accommodations are, management is hoping that guests will not spend too long in them but instead enjoy the resort and all the great outdoor activities that Wylder Windham — and Windham — expect to offer. First up, anticipate great food at Babblers restaurant, the name inspired by the scenic Batavia Kill (or creek), which runs through the property. Located in the Main Lodge, Babblers will serve “comfort food, downright simple, not fussy,” Francisco says, with baked goods and other treats available for takeout at the adjoining bakery. A rec room in the Main Lodge with a pool table and juke box will lend a retro touch (think “Dirty Dancing” meets Hip Hotels,) although as Wylder founder and CEO John Flannigan puts it, at Wylder hotels you can expect

the trappings of modern luxury but “without the attitude.” Outside, in addition to the pool and the grounds between the various accommodation houses, the area called The Yard boasts two pickleball courts as well as masses of open space for picnics and barbecues. Curling, bocce, corn hole and seasonal snowshoeing will also be available, while in the evening, much of the activity will switch to the streamside firepits. Both The Yard and the pits will be hubs of activity for the resort. Beyond the Wylder’s boundaries, of course, is Windham itself, both the charming town and the family-friendly ski mountain of the same name — just minutes away from the resort. (The resort will run a shuttle service to Windham Mountain in its cool, vintage Land Rover Defender.) For hikers and bikers, there are great rides and well-marked, public access hiking trails galore. For golfers, the Windham Country Club, which is open to nonmembers, actually borders the resort. Interestingly, like the revived resort itself, many local communities are also seeing something

of a renaissance. Some 15 minutes from Windham, chef Henning Nordanger is already drawing plaudits for his newly opened Norwegian restaurant, Henning’s Local in Cochecton Center. And in towns like Cairo (pronounced CARE-oh), Leeds and Jewett, where city dwellers once had second homes that have become permanent residences following the pandemic, new shops, galleries and restaurants are making this stunningly beautiful area of the Great Northern Catskills, if not “fashionable,” then certainly desirable. Open year-round, a 90-minute drive from central Westchester County as well as easily accessible by Amtrak via Hudson-on-Hudson, the wholesome, stylish Wylder Windham can only add further luster to the area’s already wide appeal. For more on Wylder Windham and to book, visit wylderhotels.com. For more on Greene County, visit greatnortherncatskills.com. And for bespoke tours of the Northern Hudson River Valley by Land Rover, visit bigonion.com.

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Basque-ing in Spanish wines STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG PAULDING

I haven’t traveled internationally since my trip to Umbria, Italy, in late February 2020 when Covid was about to close the world. But with vaccines, boosters and virus knowledge, it has felt relatively safe to travel again. So when the Spanish Tourism Board reached out and asked me to participate in a media trip to the Basque country and La Rioja wine region of Spain, I replied with an unequivocal, enthusiastic “yes.” I have been to Spain several times and tasted the wines of Rueda, Ribera del Duero and Navarra. Still, La Rioja region, Spain’s leading red wine producer, remained an enigma, even though I have tasted the wines of La Rioja many times and have felt they always over-deliver at any price. I want to share with everyone the demystification of the Spanish wine label. Learn one simple trick and you can pick a high-quality wine for a particular price point. On the back of La Rioja wines is a simple color-coded label that tells you if, and how long, it was oakaged and how long it rested (by law) in the cellar before release. Red wines showing a red stamp are labeled Crianza and have spent one year evolving in oak. White and Rosé Crianza wines have seen six months in oak. Red wines showing a burgundy-colored stamp are Reserva wines that have been aged for three years with one of those years in oak. White and Rosé Reserva wines have undergone two years of aging with at least six months in oak. And Gran Reserva wines displaying the dark blue stamp have been aged for at least five years

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Jaime Gutiérrez, owner of Mayor de Migueloa winery in Spain’s La Rioja region.

with at least two of those years maturing in oak. White and Rosé Gran Reserva wines are aged for four years with at least six months in oak. Then there are wines displaying a green stamp that indicates an “Author” or “High Expression” wine for which the producer is somewhat exempt from the normal classification system and is allowed to do what he thinks can make the best, and usually, most expensive wine. We visited Mayor de Migueloa, a winery, restaurant and inn dating from 1619 in the walled city of Laguardia, just over 10 miles from Logroño, the capital city of La Rioja. Jaime Gutiérrez and his wife Mery González renovated

the property in 1988, transforming it into the elegant and historic establishment it is today. We tasted their wines, got a comprehensive tour and sat for a multicourse meal in their restaurant. The next morning, I returned for a photo op and Jaime brought me back to his wine-aging room. He asked me to try a wine-aging amphora sample of his “Author” wine. He told me the pricing is yet to be determined: “I know how much it cost me to make it. We will seat some knowledgeable wine folks, with precise and refined palates, and open many Spanish wines ranging from $40 to $1,000. And we will see where on this continuum we fall, to price it appropriately.”

The Spanish classification system is important, because it establishes by law what is required to become reserve or gran reserve. But there’s more. Each wine needs to be blind-tasted by a professional board to determine if it meets the specific standard to get the seal. It takes precise vineyard management, reduction of harvest yields for better grapes, highly evolved winery practices, time, space and expensive oak barrels to bring these wines to market. I visited Total Wines in Norwalk and bought a few Rioja wines up and down the classification system. A 2017 Marqués de Cáceres Crianza is priced at $13. I found two 2016 Reservas -- the Coto de Imaz, which retails for $24.50, and the Muga for $43. Of the two Gran Reservas, a 2013 Viña Alarde sells for $30, while the 2015 Coto de Imaz is $27.50. The 2014 Torre Muga “Author wine” (green stamp on back) is $100. La Rioja region has so much more than just exceptional wines. There are 21 Michelin-starred restaurants, dramatic churches, cathedrals and monasteries dating back centuries, walled cities and old town historic sections of modern cities, The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James the Greater) is a network of ancient pilgrim routes across Europe culminating at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. Bike trails, golf courses, pintxos (snacks) and tapas restaurants also abound. La Rioja tourism board and the Spanish tourism board have welcoming sites with a wealth of information on planning everything for your trip. I’m still happily recovering from the trip of a lifetime. For more, visit mayordemigueloa.com, lariojaturismo.com and spain.info. And write Doug at doug@dougpaulding.com.

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The romantic return of La Crémaillère STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY WAYNE

Romance, to paraphrase a Jane Seymour TV commercial, has never gone out of style. So how much would Jane love La Crémaillère? Originally opened in 1947 in a farmhouse dating from the 1750s, this Bedford establishment was voted one of the 100 most romantic restaurants in America by OpenTable in 2017. Closing in 2020 amid Covid and legal troubles, La Crémaillère has reopened under new ownership, specifically businessman-Greenwich Polo Club player Peter Orthwein and the family of Westchester County-based attorney David Boies. And that’s good news for romantics everywhere who like to revel in some good old-fashioned, elegant dining. It’s a cheerful sight that greets you right upon entering — a free-standing, deep-buttoned leather-clad bar where the bartender is busy polishing bottles as he waits for the next order to come — a sign of the restaurant itself. At La Crém, everything sparkles and no member of the welldrilled front-of-the-house team is idle for even a moment. A few modifications from earlier, pre-pandemic visits are all to the good. The table linens have morphed from pink to white, while a few new pictures are entirely in keeping with the tenor of the place. But the essential design elements — Jean Pajet’s glorious murals of French provincial

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life, for instance — remain, thank goodness, so that both of the main restaurant rooms seem somehow fresher and brighter while retaining their rustic charm. Alas, the pre-pandemic bread, beloved by generations of Crémaillère’s guests, is no more. But a house-made French bread, soft and yeasty with a good crust, is a pretty good alternative. I could butter up a roll with the restaurant’s Vermont creamery butter, pop the pea and saffron arancino that comes as an amusebouche, glug my glass of buttery Maçon-Solutré, Auvigue 2020 white Burgundy and go home contented. But this, of course, is only the beginning. From the two, three or four-course prix-fixed menus, luxury ingredients galore spill out. Foie gras, truffles and lobster (which appears in both a salad and as the filling for sublime ravioli) may get the top billing, but incoming chef, Thomas Burke — who has put in valuable time with temples of gastronomy like French Laundry and Le Bernardin — is thoroughly comfortable with less exalted ingredients, too. A spring carrot and beet salad with hazelnuts, for example, arrives with aplomb, looking like a gilded coronet, its upward “prongs” a dramatic circle of burnished carrots set on a base of smooth, rich mascarpone. Watercress salad, too, although it sounds prosaic on paper, is a winner. It comes complete with radish, crispy shallots and an ambrosial avocado mousse, looking

Main dining room at La Crémaillère.

pretty as a picture, punching well above its weight. In Chef Burke’s kitchen, corners are never cut. A slab of Hudson Valley foie gras, for example, comes with toasted, house-made brioche, just as it should, while a celery root purée and glossy duck jus are just what a Long Island duck breast needs to lift it from the ordinary into something luxurious. This attention to detail informs the menu throughout, sprinkled as it is with extravagant sauces and elaborate, traditional techniques. Doesn’t your heart give a little flutter of joy when you read words like soubise, the velvety onion sauce that comes with the Niman Ranch Prime New York strip, or gribiche, that

heavenly mayonnaise made from hard-boiled eggs and served with La Crém’s steak tartare? I know mine does. Add to all this heavy silverware, carts for tableside gueridon service, a magnificent silver duck press (sadly not currently in use) and the presentation of dishes under gleaming silver cloches, and no matter how much of a modern diner you are, it’s hard not to be smitten. (I’m a sucker for the goblets and silver butter dishes, too, and even the throwback paper doilies give me a little frisson of a delight and the sense of a rather wonderful night out.) The wait staff, meanwhile, formal in a uniform of white shirt and gray vest, patrols the room,

Duck press at La Crémaillère.

Enjoying La Crémaillère at Greenwich Polo Club If you’re a fan of Greenwich Polo Club, then you know that Peter Orthwein has been one of its mainstays. So it’s no surprise that he would help combine two of his loves — La Crémaillère and Greenwich Polo — in a Sunday brunch at the club. The $65 prix-fixe menu features three courses, with such starters as pâté de campagne, oysters, smoked salmon rillette and steak tartare, while entrées include Jonah crab Benedict, brioche French toast, grilled Faroe Island salmon, steak au poivre and a Niman Ranch beef burger with triple cream cheese, crispy shallots and truffle aioli. Dessert options range from strawberries and cream mille-feuille to crème brûlée and a passion fruit crepe. Matches take place at 3 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 11, with the gates opening at 1 p.m. Admission starts at $50 per car. For more, visit greenwichpoloclub.com.

Spring carrot and beet salad at La Crémaillère.

always ready to approach the table at the upward tilt of a head or a raised eyebrow while never intruding. As we get stuck into our starters, late diners that we are, a party from the second-floor private room comes downstairs and files past our corner table to exit the restaurant — silver-haired gentlemen in monogramed shirts and blazers, the women in Chanel, teetering on reed-thin Louboutin heels. You could come to La Crém on a Saturday night in Prada and a decent pair of flats and still feel underdressed with this crowd. But with dress codes now relaxed, you could equally show up in jeans and a polo shirt and feel like a million dollars. After

all, it’s how we see ourselves, not how other see us, right? La Crém’s wine list, while not given away, isn’t so absurdly priced that you wince when ordering. There are even some bargains to be found, especially among the white Burgundies and large format Bordeaux reds, which always lend a touch of class to any celebratory dinner. But then, La Crémaillère — which, not coincidentally, is French for “house-warming” — is just the place for celebrations. Indeed, if my recent visit is anything to go by, every night is going to be a party here. For more, visit lacremny. com.

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Francesca Ferreira and her natural Selva Brazil skincare line. Photographs courtesy Francesca Ferreira.

Seeking empowerment through beauty and wellness BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

Francesca Ferreira is a strong woman who wants to empower others. And that’s why she founded Bloom Holistic Wellness to inspire others to eat right and Selva Brazil (formerly Selva Beauty), a natural skincare line. Ferreira’s foray into entrepreneurship stems from her Brazilian upbringing and the cultural shift of coming to the United States. Growing up in Acre — a state in the Amazon Legal region of Brazil, rich in rubber — Ferreira led a farm-to-table life, with her mother using plant-based remedies. She was close to her father, “like his right arm,” she says. Initially, Ferreira studied to be a diplomat, arriving in Washington, D.C. in 2007 as a diplomat’s assistant. It was the year after her father died. “He said to me, ‘I want you to go, but I know if you go, you’re not coming back.’” Indeed, she remained in Washington, D.C. until

2014 when she headed to New York City. “I decided I wanted to be an actress.” But casting directors told her, “You are pretty, but we don’t like your accent. You should be a model.” She found modeling to be “a very dirty business, all about sex and drugs.” Perhaps it was the stress of the fashion industry, and losing her father, too, but Ferreira began to develop problems with the skincare products she was using. She was also eating a lot of fast food. And while she didn’t gain weight, her bad cholesterol shot up. It was time for a change. Entrepreneurship was always an interest. But the real catalyst

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for change was her marriage to Val Morano Sagliocco — president and CEO of the Mamaroneck-based Morano Group LLC of landscape and hardscape businesses and subject of WAG’s April cover — and her pregnancy with their first child, Sofia, now 4. (Second daughter Isabella is 2.) So concerned was she about the chemicals in skincare products during her first pregnancy that she used none. Realizing there had to be a better way, she created the Selva Brazil line of vegan products. (“Selva” is a tract of forested land in the Amazon.) The products are cruelty-, sulfate-, paraben-, silicone- and gluten-free. They include the Perfect 10 Oil Cleanser, made with plant oils; the Cucumber Daily Cleanser, with vitamin A and white willow; the Vitamin C CC Serum, with citrus stem cells; the Protein Lift Serum, with peptides and botanicals; the Advanced Eye Serum, with protein and fruit extracts; the Enhancing Lip Plumper; the Nighttime Ageless Complex, with vitamin A and jojoba; the Detox Nighttime Miracle, with lavender and peony flower; and the Detoxifying Charcoal Mask with three earth clays as well as charcoal. Ferreira says she made these products for everyone but especially pregnant women. And it was with them in mind that this mompreneur became an INN (Institute for Integrated Nutrition) certified health coach to help clients discover ways to improve their mental, physical and emotional well-being. Indeed, she is hoping to host a couples’ retreat in Mexico to focus on communication in marriage and to find a home for products in local boutiques. In whatever she does, her goal is the same: “I always wanted to help people get out of their comfort zone and be the best that they can be.” For more, visit bloomholisticwellnesscoach.com and selvabeauty.nyc.

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AVAILABLE NOW: WAG'S OWN FITNESS GURU GIOVANNI ROSELLI'S COMPLETE ONLINE NUTRITION AND EXERCISE PROGRAM

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Unlike many other "diet plans", this is NOT a set of "rules" or a "one-size-fits-all" prescription. In fact, it's not a prescription at all. It's a set of principles about how and why nutritional choices work. Principles such as: • Progressively building habits over a long period of time to promote confidence and long-term sustainability. • Monitoring progress and adjusting behaviors as needed. • Building consistency and repeatable systems for making good choices. • Helping bodies function and perform their best, approaching change holistically; looking at all sides of a problem.

Nationally certified and recognized fitness trainer and Precision Nutrition coach. • Mention this WAG Magazine ad and receive 20% OFF the program. As a thank you, veterans receive 50% OFF. • Daily nutritional habits and reminders guide you through your transformation. • Workouts come complete with videos and modifications specific to the individual. • At the end of the program, if not completely satisfied, you will receive a full refund. Visit www.GiovanniRoselli.com for more info or contact him directly at Gio@GiovanniRoselli.com.

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Understanding intermittent fasting BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI “Fasting today makes the food good tomorrow.” — Unknown Fasting has been around for a long time, mainly as part of religious and cultural practices. Over the last several years especially, it has gotten mainstream attention as a way to approach eating and good nutrition. Intermittent fasting (IF) involves refraining from eating for periods ranging from hours to days. The International Food Information Council characterized IF as the most popular dietary strategy among Americans in 2020 (even more so than the highly acclaimed low-fat keto diet) and those who follow it usually do it for weight loss and/or better health.

FEEDING TIME

There are several ways to use intermittent fasting, which in itself may be eye opening, because while the word fasting often conjures up thoughts of hunger and starvation, proper planning will leave you full and satisfied. The 16:8 method seems to be the most popular, involving fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window each day. This is the easiest way to start since approximately half of the 16 hours will be spent sleeping (we hope), in addition to the time preparing for sleep, getting ready in the morning, taking care of our children and whatever timely matters need to be attended to. So these are hours generally not focused on food. Therefore, skipping breakfast, for instance,

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which many people do anyway, isn’t that much of an elaborate swing. All the person has to focus on is eating within an 8-hour time frame, say noon to 8 p.m. While most IF models do not restrict specific foods, they encourage the consumption of nourishing, satiating whole foods. Think about how your body would react if you focused hard to fast, and then the first thing you ate was a bag of salty, sugary, potato chips. When it’s time to break the fast, meals should be comprised primarily of protein and healthy fats. Breaking a fast with carbohydrates and sugary foods, even a “healthy” fruit such as an apple, will lead to hunger and eventual snacking. There are also different “levels” of fasting as “clean fasting” uses only water, tea or other calorie-free beverages during the fasting time while “dirty fasting” might involve a handful of grapes, walnuts or other foods or beverages containing less than 50 calories.

ADVANTAGES AND MISCONCEPTIONS

Some of the main advantages of IF include: • Stabilized blood sugar levels, because insulin levels rise after eating meals. So in a fasted state, insulin levels fall, blood sugar stabilizes and fat stores can be utilized as a source of energy; • Lowered blood pressure; • Decreased low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol; and

The author at a speaking engagement. Courtesy Roselli Health & Fitness.

• Lower triglycerides. A common misunderstanding is that we must eat ketogenic or low-carb diets while practicing IF. Carbs are to be considered but emphasize nutrient-dense whole foods and fewer processed foods, whether they are part of keto, paleo, omnivore or vegetarian diets.

WOMEN AND IF

Women need to fast differently, especially those in peak childbearing years who have to account for their menstrual cycles, meaning the body of a younger woman is much more sensitive to macronutrient depletion or other changes than that of a menopausal woman. Younger women need to limit fasting if they are already lean and need to avoid fasting five to seven days prior to their menstrual cycles, remaining attuned to messages their bodies send them in response to sleep, stress, nutrition and exercise. In general, once women reach menopause, they

experience less hormonal fluctuation and thus have more flexibility to fast on a daily basis.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Intermittent fasting is something we are constantly hearing about, and the benefits look to hold a lot of water (see what I did there). However, as with any new nutritional venture, make sure it’s something that is feasible and fits your lifestyle. One of the common pitfalls with most nutrition plans is that you jump into the latest trend when your life and schedule completely clash with it. Another is that once you lose weight and your body becomes resigned to the lower food intake, you’re going to have to diet or fast more stringently to maintain the weight loss or to lose more weight. As always, I’m happy to help if you have any further questions regarding this topic. Wishing everyone a great summer. Reach Giovanni at gio@ giovanniroselli.com.

Estate Planning for Digital Assets By: Lauren C. Enea, Esq.

As someone who grew up during the introduction of electronic banking, text messaging, and social media, I live in the cross-roads of storing records “the old-fashioned way” (in cabinets and closets in my home) and storing records “on the cloud” (whatever that means!). Regardless of the preferred recordkeeping mode, most people have some sort of digital footprint, making it important to know who would have access to your digital assets if you become incapacitated and how those assets would be distributed in the event you pass away. Let’s first understand the basics:

1. WHAT IS A DIGITAL ASSET?

Generally speaking, a digital asset is any type of electronic data you have the right to access. For example, it can be an email account, social media account, online bank account, online subscription account, e-commerce account (such as Amazon), photo storage account, cellphone apps, loyalty program benefits account, and electronic currency wallets (cryptocurrency).

2. WHY DO I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT MY DIGITAL ASSETS?

Because they are just as important as the cash or credit card in your physical wallet! It is easy to lose sight of your digital assets because they are… well, digital. But that does not make them valueless. In fact, digital assets may be more valuable (monetary or sentimental) than some items we have in our home. For instance, you may have stopped

printing photographs and instead store them on Google Photo or Shutterfly. If you lost all of those photos, how would you feel? How would your loved ones feel if they could not access them after your passing?

3. WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT AND ORGANIZE MY DIGITAL ASSETS? I recommend you start by creating a list of all your digital accounts and associated usernames and passwords. Once you’ve created your list, you should then prioritize your list based on which accounts a loved one would need to access should you become incapacitated or pass away. Accounts that play an important role in your current personal and financial life are the accounts you will want to include in your estate plan.

it after your passing, in accordance with your wishes. As such, you should leave specific instructions in your estate planning documents or in a separate letter for your Executor, Trustee and/ or Agent under a Power of Attorney as to where they can find your passwords, what you would like done with your digital asset accounts and social media accounts and, most important, who is to receive your digital assets upon your passing. Digital assets are now a part of everyday life. Make sure to plan for them the same way you do for your brokerage accounts, home and retirement assets!

4. WHAT SHOULD MY ESTATE PLAN SAY ABOUT MY DIGITAL ASSETS?

Most states, including New York, have laws that grant a decedent’s executor under a Last Will and Testament, or agent under a Power of Attorney the right to access and manage digital assets. Your Will, Power of Attorney and Revocable Trusts (if transferring digital assets to a Trust) specifically should reference the right to manage and access your digital assets and digital devices. That being said, having the authority to gain access and the ability to gain access are very different. Certain digital platforms have very strict guidelines for granting access to a third party. As such, organizing your digital assets and providing your loved ones with the information they need to gain access is crucial. Additionally, you should review the Terms of Service Agreements of your digital providers to see if any third-party authorization can be noted in your account(s). Facebook, for example, allows you to choose a “legacy contact” who would be granted access to your Facebook page and the ability to delete the page or memorialize

Lauren C. Enea, Esq. is an Associate at Enea, Scanlan & Sirgnano, LLP. She concentrates her practice on Wills, Trusts and Estates, Medicaid Planning, Special Needs Planning and Probate/ Estate Administration. She believes that it is never too early or too late to start planning for your future and she enjoys working with individuals and families to ensure that their estate and long- term care plan best suits their needs. Ms. Enea is on the executive committee of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Elder Law and Special Needs Section and is also the Co-Editor of the NYSBA Elder Law and Special Needs Section Journal. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida. She can be reached at 914-948-1500. 245 Main St Suite 500, White Plains, NY 10601 www.esslawfirm.com

Supplementing modern life BY DINA KHADER

Do we need to take vitamins and mineral supplements? This is the million-dollar question. All metabolic processes from the brain to the toes are dependent on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant botanicals. Every human cell relies on livesource vitamins and minerals to perform its daily functions. Still, if I were asked that question 100-plus years ago, I would have replied “Most likely not.” However, over the years, traditional farming methods have led to over-farmed land for the sake of profit. Without proper crop rotation, the soil loses significant amounts of nutrients resulting in nutrient-depletion in our food. Eating food that is so depleted reduces our energy levels, promotes immune dysregulation and significantly contributes to mental illness. At the very least, all of us should be consuming organically and biodynamically grown food. Local organic farmers’ markets carry produce that contains far more nutrients than store-bought produce. Vitamins and minerals diminish quickly when stored either in refrigeration or at room temperature. For this reason, we all need to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals as our food falls short of our dietary needs. Chronic stress and illness drain us of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, protein, etc. When supplementing food with a multivitamin, make sure to use one that is whole-food based. At least 95% of vitamins and minerals available on the market are synthetic, highly heated and create more digestive distress. To achieve optimal health, it is critical to establish and maintain an ideal body tissue PH. Without regular intake of highly bio-available minerals, maintaining an ideal alkaline urinary PH is impossible. This is a major factor affecting bone and joint health. There would be far fewer hip, back and knee surgeries if bones and joints received high-quality nutrients to remain healthy and strong, espe-

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cially during sports activities and aging. Several scientific studies confirm that vitamin D3 helps modulate the inflammatory response during times of immune stress, especially in these last two years of Covid. When getting vitamin D3 levels tested in lab work, the recommendation is to be on the upper end of the range. Labs use a range of 30 to 100. Maintaining a range of 80 to 100 is crucial for a healthy immune system. While prescription medications may have lifesaving benefits, the top 100 drugs prescribed in the U.S. have been shown to deplete a variety of vitamins and minerals — and that’s just for starters. Indeed, at least 30% of pharmaceutical side effects are the result of drug-induced nutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, these nutrient deficiencies can cause additional side effects, some of which can be life-threatening. Focusing on nutritious, whole-plant-based foods and supplementing with evidence-based, high-quality nutraceuticals enhance drug perfor-

“All metabolic processes from the brain to the toes are dependent on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant botanicals,” writes nutritionist Dina Khader of The Khader Center in Mount Kisco. “Every human cell relies on live-source vitamins and minerals to perform its daily functions.” Courtesy Dina Khader.

mance. Nutritional supplements reduce adverse side effects and improve therapeutic efficacy and clinical outcomes. As the name implies, supplements should be included to complement a healthy well-balanced diet of protein, healthy fats and starches as well as raw fresh fruits and vegetables.

Dina Khader, MS, RD, CDN, owner of The Khader Center in Mount Kisco, is a registered dietitian and integrative nutrition consultant with more than 32 years of experience helping people find optimal health through nutrition. For more, visit dinakhader.com.

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WHEN & WHERE

THROUGH JULY 9

Taconic Opera’s New York Opera Conservatory will perform two of Puccini’s one-act masterpieces from his “Il Trittico” trilogy. “Suor Angelica” is the story of a nun with a poignant secret. “Il Tabarro” follows the difficult lives of impoverished French workers. 7 to 8:30 p.m., Croton Free Library, 171 Cleveland Drive. taconicopera.org

THROUGH JULY 15

Westport Country Playhouse presents “Kim’s Convenience,” a comedy about a Toronto convenience store and a Korean-Canadian family’s dreams. 7 p.m. 25 Powers Court. 203-227-4177; westportplayhouse.org

THROUGH AUG. 24

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts presents the 15th season of its “Summer Sounds” concert series, with live outdoor music and theater performances in a variety of genres for all audiences. There will be food trucks on site. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hudson Park Bandshell, 1 Hudson Park Road; and Fridays at New Ro Park, 455 Main St. newrochellearts.org

JULY 8 THROUGH AUG. 19

The Hudson River Museum offers its summer amphitheater series, featuring an array of music, dance and theater performances at the museum’s outdoor venue overlooking the Hudson. The programs will be held on select Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers. hrm.org

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July 12 through 28: The Fairfield Country Dance Festival features East Coast Contemporary Ballet and Thomas Ortiz Dance. (Left to right) Katelyn Somers, Andres Neira, Claire Mazza, Alejandro Ulloa, Dorothea Garland and Morgan Stinnett. Photograph by Jaqi Medlock.

JULY 9

The Sixth Annual NICE Festival features two stages of folk and traditional dance performances along with bands playing bluegrass, folk-roots and Americana, Latin salsa, Haitian compas and Afro-rock. Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory dancers will perform a contemporary piece at 3 p.m. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oyster Shell Park, North Water Street, Norwalk. 203-919-3000; norwalknice.org

The Westport Museum for History and Culture presents “Destination Westport: In Gatsby’s Shoes” at The Inn at Longshore. Join Richard “Deej” Webb and Robert Steven Williams as they recreate the summer of 1920 and the sites and

characters that influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, “The Great Gatsby.” Come prepared for a vigorous 120-minute walk in one of the East Coast’s most beautiful settings. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. The Inn at Longshore, 260 Compo Road South. 203-2221424; westporthistory.org

JULY 12 THROUGH 28

Join East Coast Contemporary Ballet and Thomas Ortiz Dance during July for six evenings at the Fairfield County Dance Festival, held at various times in New Canaan, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Norwalk, Darien and Westport. 718-6373491; eccballet@gmail.com

JULY 13

The Pocantico Center spotlights “The Story Collider en Espanol,” an outdoor Spanish storytelling event with four narrators who share their tales to reveal the vibrant role that science plays in all our lives. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., The Coach Barn Outdoor Amphitheater, 200 Lake Road, Tarrytown. rbf. org/pocantico

JULY 14

Stamford Downtown begins its “Alive at Five” Thursday-night concert series on the Pure Life Stage in Mill River Park for attendees age 21 and over only. Gates open 4 p.m. 1040 Washington Blvd. 203-3485285; stamford-downtown.com

WAG

WHEN & WHERE

JULY 15

The Jacob Burns Film Center screens “Where the Crawdads Sing,” a mystery about an abandoned girl who raises herself in the marshlands of North Carolina and becomes a suspect in the murder of a man she was once involved with. Times vary, 364 Manville Road, Pleasantville. burnsfilmcenter.org

JULY 16

Music Theatre of Connecticut presents Natalie Douglas in “A Very Barbra Concert,” a tribute to Barbra Streisand. Songs and stories illustrate why Streisand’s legend endures. 509 West Ave., Norwalk. 203-4543883; musictheatreofct.com

July 21 through Sept. 3: Mary Techman’s “Going to Guilin” is part of Metro Art Studio’s “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Prints.”

Bedford Playhouse presents an outdoor production of “Sherlock Holmes: Redheads and Bohemians,” performed by Gotham Radio Theatre. The production weaves two classic Arthur Conan Doyle tales into a story of deception, foreign intrigue, theft and scandal. 5 to 6:15 p.m., 633 Old Post Road. bedfordplayhouse.org

Thrown Stone Theatre Company presents the New England premiere of Elenna Stauffer’s “Hysterical!,” about a cheerleading squad’s tested relationships. Times vary. Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, 440 Main St. (203) 4421714; thrownstone.org

JULY 17

Join the Greenwich Historical Society for “Discover Greenwich: Scavenger Hunt.” Gather with friends and family in a race to explore the hidden histories of neighborhoods and uncover clues that highlight local legends and gems, culminating in a celebration on the Society's campus.10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Longshore Park, 47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob. 203-8696899; greenwichhistory.org

JULY 21 THROUGH AUG. 7

for Caramoor’s Sunken Garden and the surrounding field. The piece consists of 40 percussionists, who will perform on newly created instruments made from recycled metals and wood. 4 p.m., 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah. caramoor.org

JULY 21 THROUGH SEPT. 3

The Wall Street Theater presents singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, whose vast song catalog includes “Carefree Highway, “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” 8 to 10 p.m. 71 Wall St., Norwalk. 203-831-5004; wallstreettheater.org

Metro Art Studio presents the “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Prints,” featuring diverse works by artists Margot Rocklen, Mary Teichman, Carmela Venti, Jo Yarrington and Yuemei Zhang. There’s an opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. July 21. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. 345 Railroad Ave., Bridgeport. 203-450-6720; metroartstudios.org.

JULY 24

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts showcases an outdoor concert of composer Michael Gordon’s “Field of Vision,” a large-scale, site-specific work

JULY 25 THROUGH AUG. 18

Silvermine Galleries presents “The 2022 Summer Salon,” an exhibit and sale featuring works in various media and styles by 136 members of the Silvermine Guild of Artists. 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan. 203-966-9700; silvermineart.org

JULY 31

It’s peace, love and rock ’n’ roll with “Glen Burtnik’s Summer of Love Concert” at Ridgefield Playhouse. Burtnik is an alumnus of the band Styx and the original “Beatlemania” on Broadway, in which he played Paul McCartney. Celebrate the music of Woodstock with songs from The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, Marvin Gaye, The Association, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, The Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker, The Zombies, Sly and the Family Stone and more. 4 p.m. 80 E. Ridge Road. 203-438-5795; info@ ridgefieldplayhouse.org Presented by Arts Westchester (artswestchester.org) and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County (culturalalliancefc. org).

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WAG

PROFITS & PASSIONS

An IT executive says, Shall we dance? (Editor’s note: In the 2004 movie “Shall We Dance?”, a lawyer (Richard Gere) finds his life reinvigorated by ballroom dancing. Paul Okura understands this. The president and CEO of CMIT Solutions of Southern Westchester in Eastchester, Okura has found relief from the world’s stresses with cycling, kayaking and ballroom dancing. So who better to help reintroduce Profits and Passions, a returning feature of our sister publications, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals, which we are presenting for the first time in WAG as well. Okura has even discovered a new passion within his love of ballroom, but we’ll let him tell you all about it:) “I am an owner of an IT service company in Westchester County. Aside from growing a successful IT service company, I am passionate about balancing my work by fully appreciating the quality of life that New York and Connecticut offer. “I bicycle, kayak and also dance four to five days a week. I used to compete in ballroom dancing in the past, then I started to dance West Coast Swing just before the Covid-19 pandemic. There are several dance studios in Connecticut that teach West Coast Swing, and they have excellent dance instructors. I danced throughout the pandemic and recently competed in my first West Coast Swing Jack & Jill newcomer competition in Hartford, winning first prize. “People today are exposed to so much stress and hatred due to Covid-19, political frictions between the (Democratic and Republican) parties, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, uncertainty regarding the future of economy, etc. We all have to be thankful that we live in the New York/

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Connecticut areas, which offer so much quality of life that we can take advantage of. “Dancing, in particular, is enormously helpful in relieving stress since you can listen to wonderful music and get physical exercise and promote friendship. I find the Jack & Jill concept under the West Coast Swing competition interesting as we are randomly paired with our dance partners. So it requires enormous cooperation between the two partners. West Coast Swing is different from other dances since you can dance to almost any type of music, including the pop music that young people enjoy. You can dance West Coast Swing regardless of age, sex, religion, income bracket, so it allows everyone to dance…. “While I competed in International Standard and International Latin dance competitions in the past, I am now more passionate about West Coast Swing, which helps balance my work life and personal life.” For more, visit cmitsolutions. com.

Paul Okura at work and at play.

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