WAG magazine - August 2021

L BUSINESS & LIFESTYLES A C LO

Education IS NOT

r a a t p i e o r P for life; n EDUCATION IS

life itself — ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN DEWEY (1859-1952), EDUCATOR, PHILOSOPHER, REFORMER

JUDGED A

TOP

MAGAZINE

Influencers in education Local prep schools and colleges Stamford’s The Village Learning about wine, strength-training and more

IN NEW YORK STATE 2014, 2015, 2016 2018, 2019

WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE

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CONTENTS AUGUS T 202 1

8 Editor’s Letter 10 Area colleges take up the ‘Covid Challenge’ 12 Singing the praises of community college 16 Riding to success 19 ‘Prep’ping for the future 40 Polling the business community 44 Leveling the playing field for Hispanic students 46 Marketing to a Hispanic audience 48 It takes a village to create The Village 50 The 411 on Westchester 52 Why golf is good for business (and nonprofits) 56 A more open US Open 58 Spreading the gospel (music) Home & Design 62 Serene, historic beauty in Redding 66 Know your design history 68 Becoming your own ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Fashion & Beauty 70 Refreshing a brand to ‘the T’ Food & Spirits 72 A fest that’s a real corker 74 Alighting in a new winery 76 A restaurant on the right side of the tracks 78 Those other Portuguese wines 80 A dish to ‘beet’ the heat Travel 82 A heavenly hotel experience 84 A ‘Haven’ on the sea 86 Veni, vidi, vino Wellness 88 Seven tips to boost male fertility 90 Educating people about fitness Wag the tail 92 Pet of the month When & where 94 Upcoming events of note Watch 96 We’re out and about.

Wit 100 We wonder: What’s the one thing you’d love to take a class in?

96 Watch

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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021

NEW WAGGER For nearly 30 years, Jennifer Moore Stahlkrantz has celebrated Westchester County by raising funds, managing communications and chairing exhibitions and events for local nonprofits while building community as the longtime editor of the former Bedford Magazine. In her debut WAG contribution, she introduces readers to the inspiring leaders of local independent schools who, despite the challenges of the past year, discovered reasons to smile each day and to return with a renewed sense of purpose.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

BY GEORGET TE GOUVEIA

AUGUST IS A FUNNY MONTH, ISN’T IT? For many of us, it’s the last call for summer vacation.

But it’s also “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the old, amusing Staples commercial noted — back to school.

That commercial showed two forlorn kids standing before shelves of school supplies as their giddy dad glided down the aisle on a shopping cart and tantalized his children by cranking a pencil sharpener. It’s safe to say, however, that after a year of lockdown, mom and dad are not the only ones happy about schools returning to in-person classes. Still, that return is not without its poignant challenges. And yet, few actions are more key to jump-starting the socioeconomic engine, which is why we wanted to take a more indepth look at education in this issue. New Wagger Jennifer Moore Stahlkrantz, whom you’ll remember as the longtime editor of the former Bedford Magazine, joins us with a selection of profiles of area prep school heads to find out what makes them and their schools tick. Gina, who began her career in academic administration at Manhattanville College in Purchase, sits down with John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. And we talk to officials at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers and Fairfield University, just two of the many colleges in our area that have taken up the federal government’s Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge to immunize the members of their communities.

These include several community colleges, which have been in the news as President Joe Biden puts forth a proposal to make two years of tuition there free. It’s a proposal that has its fans and its critics. But if anyone can take the heat, it’s another WAG subject, the dynamic Belinda S. Miles, president of 75-year-old Westchester Community College in Valhalla, the county’s largest institute of higher education and the State University of New York (SUNY)’s first federally designated Hispanic Serving institution. That should be music to the ears of White Plains-based Latino U College Access (LUCA), which helps high-achieving but underserved Latino students from Hispanic-majority high schools in Elmsford, Ossining, Sleepy Hollow and White Plains attain the dream of becoming the first in their families to graduate from college. We talk with founder

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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021

A self-portrait with my Sarah Lawrence College mirror.

The mirror depicts the college’s signature building, Westlands, the onetime home of SLC founder William Van Duzer Lawrence and his wife, the former Sarah Bates, for whom the school is named.

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo and new executive director Cosette Gutierrez about Latino U’s past, present and future.

Who knows? Maybe some of its graduates will go on to work for businesses like Connecticut-based Fingerthink, which helps companies market to Hispanics, a powerhouse economic demographic, as we discovered when we spoke with founders Francisco “Paco” Sinta and Humberto Gutiérrez.

But while we’re all about education, education, education — which philosopher/ education reformer John Dewey called “life itself” — we’re also about the educational aspect of leisure as well, as another philosopher, Aristotle, put it. Jeremy’s on the scene for one of the biggest stories to hit our area in a long time — The Village. Covering 133,000 square feet with nearly 1,000 feet of walkable marina, this massive redevelopment in Stamford’s South End, fuses office space and pri-

vate-event venues with world-class food and beverage offerings. It’s anchored by Brent Montgomery and his Wheelhouse brand, launched in 2018 in partnership with Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!.”

Those beverage offerings undoubtedly include wine, another subtheme of this issue. In addition to Wine & Dine columnist Doug’s regular coverage of the subject — this month, we learn more about Portuguese wines from him — we have Barbara’s trip to Burgundy and two homegrown stories — Phil’s take on Aquila’s Nest Vineyards in Sandy Hook and Jeremy’s look at the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest, an annual Labor Day rite in Rhinebeck. (It’s one of two September festivals in Dutchess County that we’re covering. The other is of the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival, which Laura explores.)

We’re on the links for an unusual view of golf as a sport that is mutually beneficial to businesses and philanthropies and we’re on the courts for the latest on the US Open, which will welcome back tennis fans in what it is billing as “the ultimate return.”

Meanwhile, Jena pins down a woman who while not be on the links or the courts is everywhere else — Westchester influencer Jessie Spellmann-Mignone, whose @whats_ in_westchester_ny is must-viewing on Instagram.

What’s in Westchester and what’s in Fairfield? WAG knows and is delighted to educate you about it.

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.

Her short story “The Glass Door” was recently published by JMS and is part of “Together apART: Creating During COVID” at ArtsWestchester in White Plains May 7 through Aug. 1. Her new story, “After Hopper,” is now available from JMS Books. For more, visit thegamesmenplay.com.

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g e e s l l t a o c k e up a e r A C h d a i v lle n g e o C ‘ e ’ th

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

W

hile a significant number of older Americans have been vaccinated against Covid-19, young people have lagged behind. In an effort to rectify this, the White House and the U.S. Department of Education have asked colleges and universities across the country to sign up for the Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge. The challenge has three prongs: 1. Knowledge — Ensure that all students, faculty members and staffers know they are eligible for the vaccine and have the resources to get it; 2. Organization — Implement a plan to vaccinate the college community; 3. Delivery — Bring vaccines on-site.

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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021

At press time, almost 850 colleges and universities nationwide have taken up the challenge, including 38 in Connecticut and 121 in New York state. Among those in Connecticut are Fairfield University, Housatonic Community College, Norwalk Community College, Sacred Heart University, the University of Bridgeport and the University of Connecticut. Those in New York include Bard College, Dutchess Community College, Mercy College, Pace University, Sarah Lawrence College, Purchase College and Westchester Community College.

For many of these colleges, which have been working with their states and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the federal government’s Covid challenge is one that they have already anticipated.

“It was an easy transition for us to make, because we were well on our way,” says Jennifer Anderson, vice president of marketing and communications at Fairfield University, a Jesuit-run school where nearly 1,500 Pfizer vaccines were distributed in April and May in partnership with Derby’s Griffin Hospital and the university’s own Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies.

But while a survey of 80% of the students on campus said that they had received the vac-

cine or were planning on getting it, that’s easier said than done. “The challenge as we perceive it is to encourage people to get the vaccine,” Anderson adds. “We started to promote why they should get the vaccine through contests and messaging.”

The university has held vaccine raffles for gift cards and iPads and even a $1,000 scholarship for first-year students. For its summer population of students, athletes and coaches, it’s been working on vaccinations and proofs of vaccination.

“We’re working with students to understand that not only are you protecting yourself by getting vaccinated, but you’re helping to protect your community,” says Karen Donoghue, Fairfield’s vice president for student life.

Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers hasn’t seen the need for incentives, as “the faculty and staff have been clamoring for the vaccine,” says Danielle Coscia, the college’s vice president of human resources. Last fall, the college registered to be a vaccination site, says Mary Hartnett, R.N., Sarah Lawrence’s director of medical services. In April, its Health &Wellness Center was all set to go with 300 shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine when the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) paused it. The college then worked with the Westchester County Department of Health and Westchester Medical Center to get those registered vaccinated off-site, then resumed administering the Johnson & Johnson shot on campus when the pause was lifted.

To date, at least 75% of Sarah Lawrence’s 450-member faculty and staff is fully vaccinated while at Fairfield University, 83% of its 618-member faculty and 71% of its 646 staffers is fully vaccinated.

The real challenge in President Joe Biden’s Covid challenge will occur in the fall as temperatures drop, activities move indoors and variants of the coronavirus continue to heat up. While the virus and remote learning have caused some college enrollments to decline, others are soaring. Anderson says Fairfield University is expecting its largest and academically strongest freshman class to date with more than 1,250 students. Sarah Lawrence has seen applications rise 20 percent with 4,000 students vying for 400 freshman slots.

Fairfield University, which will be a mix of in-person and remote classes this fall, “will continue weekly testing,” Anderson says, “as we did throughout the ’20/’21 academic year, for those individuals who have not submitted proof of vaccination. Individuals who do not comply with weekly testing will not be permitted access to campus until a negative Covid test is provided.”

At Sarah Lawrence, where intimate class size and a strong faculty adviser-student relation-

SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE AT A GLANCE • In a nutshell: Intimate, coeducational liberal arts college in Yonkers – founded in 1926 by real estate mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence as a women’s college to honor his wife, the former Sarah Bates. Known for its writing, performing arts and human genetics programs; small class sizes; and faculty adviser-student conferences • President: Cristle Collins Judd • Students: Roughly 1,700 (1,400 undergraduates, 250 to 300 graduate students) • Faculty and staff: 450 • Operating budget: $80 million, with an additional $35 million in aid.

• Endowment: $136.8 million.

• Tuition per year: $58,936

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE

A first-year poetry reading class at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, one of the area colleges and universities to sign up for the federal government’s Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge.

Photograph by Jeffrey McDaniel. Courtesy Sarah Lawrence College.

• In a nutshell: A modern, Jesuit university – founded in 1942 in the town of Fairfield – that bills itself as “rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions.” It has five schools – the College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Engineering, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies and the School of Education and Human Development.

• President: Mark R. Nemec • Students: More than 5,000 undergraduates and graduate students • Faculty and staff: 618 faculty members; 646 staffers • Operating budget: $218 million • Endowment: $350.8 million • Tuition per year: $52,070

ship are at the core of its pedagogical approach, classes will be in-person this fall, with first-year and sophomore students required to live on campus and all students required to be vaccinated.

“The college will accept medical and religious exemptions, as allowed for all required vaccinations,” Hartnett says. “The college’s medical record system tracks the list of students who have medical or religious exemptions, allowing the college, along with the local Department of Health, to manage any Covid-19 cases, and contact tracing, on campus. The college will offer online classes for students who choose not to vaccinate and are without a medical or religious exemption.”

“We’re still an educational community,” Hartnett adds. “We’re not trying to compromise people’s beliefs. We’re trying to educate people as to the right choices, because sometimes they have ideas that are not based on the science.”

For more, visit whitehouse.gov/COVIDCollegeChallenge, fairfield.edu and sarahlawrence.edu.

h t e g p r n a i g ise s n i S i n t y u c m o m l l o e c ge f o

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

W

ith President Joe Biden proposing to make community colleges tuition free for two years; his wife, Jill, continuing to teach English at Northern Virginia Community College and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott recently donating $30 million to El Paso Community College, these versatile institutions of higher education are trending. They’re also at the center of another partisan political debate as conservatives argue for greater support for the more wide-ranging Pell Grants rather than tuition-free community colleges.

(Of course, liberals note, that if community colleges were tuition-free, it would allow for underserved students to use Pell Grants for support services that would ensure they complete their education.)

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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021

Few are better equipped for this spotlight’s glare than Belinda S. Miles, president of 75-yearold Westchester Community College (WCC) in Valhalla, the largest college in the county and the State University of New York (SUNY)’s first federally designated Hispanic Serving institution.

Since her arrival in 2015, the college — which has 29,224 credit and noncredit students and 512 faculty members and staffers — has experienced increased graduation rates, new academic and workforce development programs and unprecedented growth in gifts to support scholarships and student programming. (While WCC does not have an endowment, it partners with the Westchester Community College Foundation, which distributes more than $2 million annually to students in the form of scholarships.)

Miles also engages the community as a member of the Westchester chapter of The Links Inc., serving African-Americans and the African Diaspora by providing programming support for Covid-19 relief efforts, enrichment for promising high school students and voter education initiatives. She’s a dynamic speaker, who galvanized the American Heart Association’s 2018 “Go Red for Women” luncheon in Rye Brook and the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester’s virtual 2020 “In the Company of Women” presentation, for which she was the keynote honoree.

Miles attended public schools in her native Queens, graduating from York College City University of New York (CUNY) with a B.A. in political science. She earned an M.A. in educational psychology and an Ed.D. in higher education organization and leadership development from Teachers College, Columbia University.

That led her to a number of faculty and administrative roles at LaGuardia Community College, Nassau Community College and Columbia University. Most recently, she served as provost and executive vice president of access, learning and success at Cuyahoga Community College with oversight of four campuses and many extension sites in the great Cleveland area.

When she’s not in her office, you may find Miles, a Westchester resident, on the links of the county’s public golf courses or in front of a microphone. She loves to sing and accomplished one of her bucket list items by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” as part of the Tri-C Vocal Trio at a Cleveland Indians’ home game in 2011.

For her, community college is something to sing about:

President Joe Biden’s American Families Plan would include $109 billion to make community colleges like Westchester Community College tuition-free for two years. Why is that a good idea?

“Westchester Community College’s mission is to provide accessible, high-quality and affordable education to meet the needs of its diverse community. Even with our lowest-in-thecounty tuition (less than $4,800 annually), the cost of higher education is a barrier for many to reach their full potential. In Westchester County, 8.4% of residents live in poverty, and students at WCC who apply for financial aid have a median household income of $33,808, compared to the county median income of $101,908. Removing the burden of paying college tuition is a major boost for families who will still have hardships posed by transportation, care for children and elders, housing and food insecurity, and other issues.”

The American Families Plan would also include $80 billion for Pell Grants for the severely underserved.

Margaret Spellings, secretary of education under President George W. Bush, recently told Judy Woodruff, anchor of the “PBS NewHour,” that while Biden is right to focus on education, the Pell Grant is the better, more versatile way to go rather than underwriting community colleges for those in need.

What’s your reaction to that?

“We applaud all efforts that give students the assistance they need to achieve their academic and career goals, including resources that help students get a strong start at community colleges like WCC where our students (who graduate with an associate’s degree) then successfully

WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT A GLANCE • In a nutshell: Founded in 1946, WCC in Valhalla is the largest college in Westchester County and the State University of New York (SUNY)’s first federally designated Hispanic Serving institution. Known for its diverse offerings and student population, everyone from those looking to start their college experience to those looking to jump-start their careers.

• President: Belinda S. Miles • Students: 29, 224 credit and noncredit students • Faculty and staff: 512 • Operating budget: $115,740,738 • Tuition per year: Less than $4,800 annually

transfer to partner universities such as SUNY, CUNY and many private institutional partners.

These include premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities that offer guaranteed junior standing upon successful completion of an associate degree.

“Currently, Pell grants are available to students at both institution types. They go further at community colleges where local municipalities often share in costs to keep tuition affordable. Also, with their distinctive ‘open door’ access mission, community colleges enroll millions of students — particularly students of color and those who have been historically underrepresented in academia — who might not otherwise have access to quality higher education. Investing resources for the first two years of collegiate study supports more equitable talent development.”

Belinda S. Miles, president of Westchester Community College, the largest institution of higher education in the county. Courtesy Westchester Community College.

Recently, WCC student Bianca Braun was named a winner of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, which awards students $40,000 per year to complete their studies at a four-year institution.

Braun will be transferring to Harvard in September to earn her bachelor’s degree. Your own career has embraced both community college and the Ivy League (Columbia University). Make the case further for what community college offers.

“Harvard, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Cornell are among the many institutions that have accepted WCC graduates, and our transfer graduates routinely tell us that the quality of their experience with their WCC professors is on par with their experience at their four-year universities.

“Community colleges are comprehensive institutions that serve many types of learners throughout their lifetimes. We provide early college experiences for qualifying high school students who are able to earn college credits as part of satisfying their high school requirements. We offer high-quality educa-

tion in career and technical fields that lead to entry in well-paying “middle skills” careers that require more than high school diploma but not the bachelor’s degree. Our students get a strong start to bachelor’s degrees. And community members can find a wide range of personal enrichment opportunities at our various sites within the region.

“Community colleges emerged as a disruptive innovation in higher education, democratizing access to higher learning with a powerful national network that now includes 1,044 colleges that are tuned to the local needs of their communities. Community colleges enroll four out of 10 of all undergraduate students in the U.S., according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Community college students are the first in their families to attend college, single parents, non-U.S. citizens, veterans, students with disabilities and even students with a prior bachelor’s degree.

“Almost 12 million Americans attend community college, and many more come to our campuses as a hub of intellectual capital and community engagement, where nearby you find the latest technology in action, train to become an essential health care professional, study to be at the forefront of the nation’s cybersecurity defense, attend a theater production, take in an art exhibit or enjoy a dance production. Commensurate with the open access mission and focus on equitable outcomes, community college graduates walk on the path of social mobility, with 21% of WCC’s graduates beginning their academic journey at the bottom fifth of the income quintiles and ending up in the top fifth later in life.”

As you’ve alluded to above, what makes community colleges unique is that they’re not just for the academically minded. Tell us about some of the business and trade courses that are taught at WCC. “WCC has a wide range of offerings because we serve such a diverse population — diverse not just in race or ethnicity, but in age, interests, economic means and academic interests and goals. We have an Honors College that offers higher level challenges and academic rigor for students who aim for advanced knowledge and study at any number of elite institutions and choose to start their post-secondary journey at WCC to take advantage of our lowest-inthe-county tuition and, for many, proximity to home. And we offer opportunity programs for students who may have struggled academically in the past, yet seek the advantages of a higher education experience.

“Many students enter WCC with uncertain aspirations and take a general course of study to explore their options and discover their passion. Other students know where they want to be after graduation and have a more directed focus in their studies from the start.

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The more popular of these programs include nursing and other health care fields, cybersecurity, engineering science and fashion design and merchandising. These technical skills-oriented programs have been attracting increasing interest and support from corporations and funders in recognition of the need for a sufficient workforce well-trained for the economy of the 21st century.

“Oftentimes, students take advantage of our transfer agreements through which students spend the first two years of their post-secondary education at WCC, saving significantly on tuition costs and then seamlessly transferring to a four-year institution with full junior status.

The academic rigor of a WCC education as well as the extensive academic supports provided

by WCC counselors prepare these students with the skill sets and academic knowledge they need to succeed in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and beyond.

WCC’s Division of Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) provides shorter paths for nondegree-seeking students to explore new career opportunities, prepare for certifications necessary to enter or advance in high-demand fields such as health care, information technology or real estate and gain the skills and knowledge needed to pursue middle-skills career options.”

What attracted you to community colleges as a career?

“There is no better place to build minds and futures than at community colleges. These institutions are often places of refuge and hope for many students. Community colleges’ access mission provides opportunity and pathways to economic mobility for those frequently left behind, as part of creating a more just and equitable society for all citizens.

“At WCC, we are committed to developing the talent and potential of every student. This sense of duty toward mission is inseparable from who I am because I see myself in the students that we serve. I am a first-generation college graduate. I attended York College (CUNY) and was a work-study student, tutoring in the Writing Skills Lab. It was a transformative time and place.

“Some students need little assistance to succeed. Others need so much more. Community colleges have student success initiatives and programs focused on retention and helping students to achieve their goals. At WCC, we witness success every day. That is what attracts me — and the dedicated faculty and staff at WCC — to community colleges as a career. “ What can we look forward to from WCC this fall?

“Looking to next year, our number-one priority is still the health and safety of our community. However, as the vaccination rates

continue to rise and infection rates fall, our Pandemic Response Team is closely monitoring guidance from federal, state and local officials so that we can expand our in-person activities while not sacrificing safety. Having gained new expertise in online learning, we are well-positioned to continue offering some courses and support services remotely, while we move to having the bulk of courses offered in person.

Either way, students will have access to an accredited, high-quality SUNY education. The expansion of our offerings through multiple modalities provides more flexibility for students to choose the experience that works best for their schedules, strengths and preferences.

“This coming year marks the 75th anniversary of WCC’s founding. President Harry S Truman appointed a commission to evaluate the higher education needs of the United States as it addressed the challenges of recovering from World War II. The commission, which bears his name, established a system of community colleges that would increase equity and access, expand adult education programs and integrate vocational and liberal education. Today we are again facing a crisis of historic proportions - a pandemic, economic disruption, civil unrest — and again community colleges are seen as playing a pivotal role in our re-emergence. Our 75th anniversary celebrations will provide a recognition of WCC’s contributions to our region’s past successes and future recovery.”

MacKenzie Scott recently gave $30 million to El Paso Community College. If WCC should find its equivalent to Scott, what would you do with the $30 million?

“Our Strategic Plan guides our path for the future. Its three compelling components are key areas for substantial investment. The first category is Academic Excellence and Innovation, supporting rich curriculum opportunities, technology-enhanced learning spaces and faculty professional development. Second is Holistic Support for Students from basic needs like mental health support and other support for daily living as well as comprehensive career services, expanded undergraduate research opportunities and exploration of cultures and societies through international travel.

“Finally, we are focused on Sustainability for the Future, looking not only at the role we can play in supporting our environment but also the economic viability of the college so we can serve future generations of scholars. The Westchester Community College Foundation has very generously supported our students and institution for more than 50 years. We invite those interested in investing in our students and mission to explore how they can do so through the foundation.”

For more, visit sunywcc.edu and read the full interview at wagmag.com.

A HACKLEY EDUCATION IS ABOUT GOING ALL-IN. Our students are empowered to challenge and support one another, learn from varying perspectives, offer unreserved effort, grow in character and intellect, and explore beyond boundaries.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.HACKLEYSCHOOL.ORG

Join us this fall to learn about Hackley! Scan the QR code for more information, email admissions@hackleyschool.org, or visit us online at www.hackleyschool.org/admissions.

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John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University. Photograph by Tracy Deer-Mirek. Photograph courtesy Sacred Heart University.

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o t s u g c n c i es s d i R

BY GINA GOUVEIA

J

ohn J. Petillo knew exactly what he would do once he became president of Sacred Heart University, a private, Roman Catholic school in Fairfield founded in 1963 by the Diocese of Bridgeport.

“I clearly remember when the board offered me the position,” he says. “One of the board members was Bill Mitchell of (Connecticut’s) Mitchell stores. He asked me, ‘What do you think you’ll do?’ and I replied, ‘Buckle up. We’re going for a ride.

“It was a matter of bringing an entrepreneurial spirit,” he says, to his vision for the campus and the expansion that the school — one of the fasting-growing Catholic universities in the nation — has enjoyed during his 10-year tenure.

This includes adding 20 new buildings (the latest is the Martire Family Arena for hockey and skating on the West campus) and driving the enrollment numbers from roughly 3,000

to more than 9,000 today.

With 33 Division I varsity teams and more than 100 clubs prior to Petillo’s arrival, it was the university’s sports teams that served as a major focus in its recruiting efforts. Since assuming the presidency, Petillo, who has had footholds in both the academic and business communities, has shifted more focus to undergraduate and graduate studies and has worked with his team to build the infrastructure on campus to support many of the new initiatives.

While the top five undergraduate majors are nursing, psychology, exercise science, marketing and finance and business economics, Petillo — or “Dr. P,” as he’s known around campus — is proud of the performing arts program that has also benefitted from his leadership.

“Our director is a Broadway producer,” he says, “and, because of him, a number of our kids are inspired to pursue careers in theater, not just acting, but in costume design and writing.” There are also six choirs — Dr. P sings in the Gospel Choir — and he also teaches a two-semester course “Catholic Intellectual Traditions,” “a thinking class, not a catechism class,” as he describes it.

To this and everything he does he brings a defining characteristic— presence. “I am a fanatic on presence. I’m a firm believer (that it) makes a difference in the quality of the life and the quality of the learning and it’s also a part of the yearly evaluation of officers here. My definition of presence is that you are at the things you don’t have to be at.” Deborah Noack — executive director of communications, who sat in on our one-on-one with Petillo, along with Gary MacNamara, chief of public safety and executive director of government affairs — attests to Dr. P’s attendance at community-wide events, games, theater productions and daily student lunches around SHU (pronounced “Shoo”), as the university is affectionately called.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Another hallmark of SHU is its service to community and others. One of its best-known initiatives is its affiliation with Westport’s Horizons National, an organization serving 6,000 students across 19 states with educational enrichment programs in partnership with community educators from public, charter and independent schools as well as colleges and universities. Petillo says that SHU was one of the first universities to pledge participation.

It was the headmistress at Green Farms Academy who first introduced the program to Petillo during the search for a school for his daughter when the family relocated to Connecticut from New Jersey. Participating children, kindergarten through high school, receive growth-inspired programming from the university’s students on campus once a month during the school year and then for six weeks in the summer. “We’ve had great retention in the program and it provides an opportunity for our kids to work,” Petillo says, adding “I read to the kids and we give them an SHU T-shirt when they graduate. One of the current Horizon students will be an incoming freshman with us this year.”

Other programs include Upward Bounds, which provides SHU mentors to children from the sixth grade right through the middle-school years, enabling them to have the same mentor throughout.

Soon, the university will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at a 100-yearold building that it renovated in the center of town. Petillo says that a member of the faculty has composed a work of classical music for the celebration, noting how hard it is to fathom that most of the university’s students had not even been born at that time.

But for SHU, charity also begins at home.

There is an internal campus program, SHU Shares, whereby students are able to donate unused meal swipes available on their meal cards to other students. “We started it this past year and gave out something like 900 meals last semester to kids who needed assistance paying for food,” Petillo says.

Here the ever-present Dr. P again leads by example on a separate SHU email account just for correspondence with students. He gets many, frequent updates from them, including from one who’s had three heart transplant surgeries (one while at SHU) and another who

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE • In a nutshell: Sacred Heart University is a private, Roman Catholic university in Fairfield, founded in 1963 by the Most Rev. Walter W. Curtis, bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport. It is known not only for its academic programs but also for its social interactions and social activism, with 33 Division I athletic teams, more than 100 student clubs and organizations, a robust sorority and fraternity life and more than 110,000 hours of community engagement performed globally by students, faculty and staff.

• President: John J. Petillo • Students: 9,000-plus undergraduate and graduate students • Faculty and staff: 1,500-plus • Operating budget: $234 million • Endowment: $190 million • Tuition per year: $44,960 per year

Sacred Heart University’s Lower Quad.

Photograph by Sean Kaschak.

asked for meal assistance. He responds to them all. Small wonder that he’s been invited to eight alumni weddings.

A FAMILIAR FACE

A proud son of Newark, New Jersey, Petillo was no stranger to SHU when he assumed its presidency. He had served on Sacred Heart’s board from 1984 to ’89 while he was chancellor of Seton Hall University.

Petillo had earned his Ph.D. in counseling and personnel services from Fordham University and served several corporations and organizations in positions of executive leadership before Jack Welch — the late chairman and CEO of General Electric — approached him to become dean of SHU’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology. Petillo agreed, coming on board in March 2009 amid the Great Recession, just when the business school was about to embark on a three-year accreditation process, an important step that required the experience he could bring to it.

Just 18 months into that successful process, Petillo accepted the interim presidency of the university in October 2010 and was formally appointed March 2011. Together with his wife, Sabina, a medical internist, and his daughter, Ariana, the family assumed residency of the president's house on campus and instantly engaged with the SHU community.

That kind of engagement would prove crucial when Covid struck.

“We started preparing immediately when

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the first case was announced at Arizona State University,” says MacNamara, co-chair of the university’s Covid task force, who served in the Fairfield Police Department for 30 years. “We were always at the forefront — messaging, testing weekly and managing those who were ill by utilizing the former GE guest house on the West campus.”

The committee met daily via Zoom, then biweekly and eventually weekly during the height of the crisis and issued statements twice weekly at least, then weekly to students and parents. Fortunately, there was never a large outbreak and the response from the community was tremendous. “The educational mission never stopped,” McNamara says. “We knew early on that we had a responsibility to manage it.”

Last fall, the students were back on campus, save for two weeks around Halloween, and returned for the full second semester.

MacNamara says that students have been ever more diligent since, respecting and abiding by campus-wide mandates, known as the Pioneer Promise, Pioneer being the name of their sports teams.

Before the end of last semester, the university had a tribute to first responders in the chapel, wherein students, faculty and staff read aloud the names of all 6,000 Connecticut residents whose lives were lost during the pandemic, ending with those with ties to the SHU community.

At the close of the spring semester, the

university held four graduation ceremonies outdoors, the first for the class of 2020. “We expected a few hundred and we had over 900 kids come back, Petillo says. “Of course, we had parents, too, and they applauded the dais party and just said ‘thank you.’

Taking advantage of their spacious setting, school officials also set up a mass vaccination site on campus, not only for the SHU community but for the greater surrounding area, administering some 18,000 vaccines in an effort managed by Hartford Health. (The school is part of the federal government’s Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge. See story on Page 10.)

“We were never spectators,” Petillo says, “and we were fortunate not to lose one student (to the virus).

“They (the students) come here because of the sense of community, but because of the faculty, they stay. Retention has moved up considerably. The faculty guidance and advisement have played an important role.” In the fall, SHU will have its largest incoming class.

Adds Petillo: “We were more selective, but (still) have 1,900 coming in the fall. Last year it was 1,600.”

Clearly for SHU, as with other campuses, everyone is looking forward to the return of annual celebrations like Homecoming and Family Weekend. Says the man who promised the university the ride of its life 10 years ago, “We are counting on going full steam.”

For more, visit sacredheart.edu.

‘PREP’PING THE FUTURE

BY JENNIFER MOORE STAHLKRANTZ As they prepare for a new, post-pandemic academic year, select prep school heads in Westchester and Fairfield counties speak to us about lessons learned, inspiration, superpowers, what makes them smile and, in one case, the benefits of four-legged friends on campus. These educators’ enduring dedication to their calling is aptly described by Iona Prep’s Bro. Thomas Leto who observes, ‘What better way to spend one’s life than contributing to the formation of a young person’s mind, heart and soul”:

Thomas W. Philip (left). Courtesy Brunswick School.

Thomas W. Philip, head of school, Brunswick School

F

ounded in 1902, Brunswick School is an independent, college preparatory day school in Greenwich, providing character-based education for boys in prekindergarten through grade 12.

Tom Philip has been head of school at Brunswick for more than two decades. A graduate of Hotchkiss School as well as Bucknell and Wesleyan Universities, Philip is the father of three grown children and worked in finance before finding his calling in education.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Brunswick has a Vermont campus — 650 acres of wilderness offering applied classroom and experiential learning for sophomores.”

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How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“At Brunswick, we are always practicing for challenges — how to face them when they inevitably come and how to overcome them and grow stronger still in doing so. And to prepare for those challenges, we regularly practice building up our strong character.”

What aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“Being a force for good.”

What recent experience at school put a smile on your face?

“Teaching and learning through the pandemic of 2020-21, with students coming to school each morning, eager to learn and to grow.”

What superpower do you bring to school each day?

“Optimism.”

What led you to choose a career in education?

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Thomas W. Philip NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 245 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 1,045 boys

“Inspiring teachers.”

ANNUAL TUITION: $40,000 to $46,200

How do you recharge in your free time?

For more, visit brunswickschool.org.

“Time with family and jogging.”

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Michael Schultz, principal, The Chapel School

T

he Chapel School (TCS), an arm of the ministry of Village Lutheran Church in Bronxville, has been serving a diverse community of families in Westchester and the Bronx since 1947. TCS provides academic challenge and excellence as well as character education and opportunities for social, emotional and spiritual growth to children in preschool through eighth grade.

Having just completed his fifth year as principal, Michael Schultz will kick off his 26th year at The Chapel School in Bronxville this fall. He previously served as athletic director and assistant principal/middle school principal. A former professional baseball player and graphic designer, Schultz earned degrees in business administration, teaching and colloquy from Concordia and Iona colleges as well as a coaching certification in baseball.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Parents have told me that we have a sense of family here that should be bottled and sold.

Our reliance upon each other and our ability to function as cooperative partners is like no other school or work environment I have known.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We coped because of the dedication of our faculty and staff. They were coming to work every day for those who needed in-person learning and livestreaming their classes for those who needed to stay home and learn remotely. The additional (Department of Health)-recommended hygiene practices helped us to make this the healthiest year I can recall in all of my years here at the school. We were minimally impacted by Covid and other common ailments that usually make their way through a school during a school year.”

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Michael Schultz (far right). Courtesy The Chapel School.

THE CHAPEL SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Michael Schultz NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 48 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 251 ANNUAL TUITION: $5,950 to $14,995 For more, visit thechapelschool.org

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I get to help teachers hone their craft and embrace their creativity and dedication so that more and more students are positively impacted by their efforts.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“Faith and trust. I am surrounded by great people — our pastors, school secretary, team leaders, teachers, teacher aides — and I trust them to do what is best for the children entrusted to their care.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“I had coached baseball (McClintock Chargers, Tempe, Arizona,) and then taught an

illustration course to gifted and talented students at Concordia, when I finally realized that education was my calling. I even turned down a few offers to be a “scab” during the MLB strike while I was in grad school, which was an indication that I had found a new passion.”

What reaffirms your career choice?

“Since we were back in person in September, the laughter on the playground makes me smile every day. But very recently, I got messages from two former students who are now 30 and 29, thanking me for being a positive influence in their lives some 15 plus years ago. Sometimes the best gratification is far from instant.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“Phil Kuczma was my ninth-grade earth science teacher at Bronxville (High School) and my varsity baseball coach. My eldest brother passed from cancer in October of my senior year and Coach Kuczma was there for me — opening the gym early, staying late, throwing my (batting practice) on Sundays, helping me with college coaches. I experienced the positive impact that a teacher/ coach can have at what was the lowest point of my life and decided that I wanted to pay it forward.”

How do you recharge in your free time?

“I am hitting coach/assistant varsity baseball coach at Bronxville High School, and I love to golf and spend time with my three children.”

Michael C. Wirtz, head of school, Hackley School

H

ackley School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory day and boarding school in Tarrytown for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Founded in 1899 as a school for boys, Hackley became coeducational in 1970.

Michael Wirtz became Hackley’s 12th head of school in 2016 after serving as assistant head of school and dean of faculty at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from Ohio University, followed by an Ed.M. in policy, planning and administration from Boston University. Prior to shifting to a career in education, he served as a research chemist for a large pharmaceutical company. He is the father of two children, ages 8 and 10.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Most people think of Hackley as a day school, but we have a small, yet impactful five-day boarding program. I think these students have the best of both worlds, enjoying a unique community throughout the week and spending weekends at home with their families.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“Overall, Hackley managed well and kept our students in school five days per week throughout the year. We were able to make ample use of the outdoor space on our 285-acre campus — something we intend to do more of moving forward.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I absolutely have the best job on campus.

Each day has such variety, presenting fresh opportunities to positively impact the school community.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I am known for my love of bow ties and ‘dad jokes’ — a powerful combination of fashion and humor.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“I had great teachers growing up, people whom I greatly admired. They had a significant impact on me and I wanted to do the same for others.”

Can you give us an example of how they influenced your career choice?

“I had several amazing teachers, but one of the most memorable was Mr. Goebel, who was my eighth-grade science teacher. Not only was he an effective teacher, but he also got to know his students as individuals and he demonstrated that he cared for each of us. I

went on to do a senior project with him where he effectively set up a teaching practicum for me in the last six weeks of my high school career. That experience informed my desire to teach.”

Tell us about an encounter at school that put a smile on your face.

“It is difficult to pick just one, but I enjoy being around our students and getting to know them. I most cherish the day-to-day interactions that build over time and help me develop relationships with them.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I love to play golf and spend time with my family...ideally at the same time.”

HACKLEY SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Michael C. Wirtz NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 205 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 840 ANNUAL TUITION: $42,640 to $49,975 For more, visit hackleyschool.org.

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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THE HARVEY SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: William J Knauer NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 98 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 345 ANNUAL TUITION: $41,800 to $46,800 For more, visit harveyschool.org.

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I am grateful to be able to work with children every day and to collaborate with talented, dedicated, creative, caring colleagues.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

William J. Knauer (center). Courtesy The Harvey School.

William J. Knauer, head of school, The Harvey School

L

ocated on a 125-acre campus in Katonah, The Harvey School is a coeducational, college-preparatory, private school for students in grades six through 12 with an optional five-day residential program for students in grades nine through 12.

William Knauer has worked in independent and international schools for 30 years.

Armed with a B.A. in linguistics from the University of Michigan, an M.A.T. in English and E.A.L. from Trenton State College, an M.A. from Middlebury College in English, and a certificate in systems analysis from Columbia University, he served in teaching and leadership roles at the American School of Khartoum in Sudan, Munich International School, Riverdale Country School and Packer Collegiate Institute before heading to Barcelona, Spain, to accept the position of head of the Benjamin Franklin International School. In 2016, he returned to the United States to become head of The Harvey School.

His daughter, Emiliana, is a rising junior at Harvey.

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WAGMAG.COM AUGUST 2021

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“The Harvey School offers a unique educational opportunity for students to not only be challenged academically but also have the space to try new things, discover and pursue their passions and learn to become innovative, independent and creative thinkers. Our students thrive academically, athletically, artistically and socially, because they are happy at Harvey. We believe that joy matters. When students enjoy coming to school each day, they are focused and engaged as learners.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We set one goal as our North Star and stuck with it: Keep students in school to the extent that it was safe and legal to do so. Everything else followed from that. Apart from the obvious advances most schools realized with regard to technology, we found other unexpected benefits that will affect the way we operate moving forward. For example, as a school with students from over 100 zip codes and various countries around the world, the shift to more remote interactions allowed us to include more of our families in community events in a way we had not successfully done in the past. Additionally, the changes we had to make to our schedule to comply with required cleaning protocols created mini “breaks” between classes, which had a very positive effect on student engagement and concentration, particularly in the middle school.”

“Patience.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“My mother and older sister were both teachers. I originally started teaching as a way to live overseas, but I quickly realized I had found my calling. Each day is different — interesting, challenging, fulfilling — and I am grateful to be able to spend my professional life working with students.”

Tell us about an encounter at school that put a smile on your face.

“One of the highlights of the day for me is to greet students when they arrive on campus each morning. During the pandemic, we managed to keep the campus open for all students and avoid any on-campus spread of the virus, but occasionally the state’s contact tracing protocols would send significant numbers of students into quarantine. One morning, one of our students returned to campus after being isolated for 14 days. As I greeted him, he paused and exclaimed with complete sincerity, ‘I will never take this place for granted again.’”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“My high school English teacher taught me the power of language, the importance of precision and clarity and the wonder of imagination.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“Read, run, play hockey and spend time with family and friends.”

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retreats and other spiritual life formation programs and helping lead service trips to the poorest sections of Peru — all of those things energize my day and allow me to tend to the things above.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I believe my ‘superpower’ is the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, who recognized that the poor boys of Ireland needed not only writing and arithmetic but also a business acumen, clothes and faith formation. What I try to bring to our educational community is that same realization that a true, holistic education is not just intellectual development but catering to the physical, social and spiritual needs of today’s youth, as well.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

Brother Thomas R. Leto (left). Courtesy Iona Preparatory School.

Brother Thomas R. Leto, president, Iona Preparatory School

I

ona Preparatory School is an independent, Roman Catholic, college preparatory school located on two campuses in New Rochelle, serving boys in kindergarten through grade 12. It is the brother school of The Ursuline School.

Leto has served as president of the school since 2010. He has earned both an Ed.S. and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Seton Hall University, where he has been an adjunct faculty member since 2015, an M.S.Ed. in educational leadership from the University of Dayton, an M.A. in history from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and political science from Iona College.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Three things immediately come to mind. The first is advocacy and service. Our boys serve the poor and marginalized locally and abroad so they are aware of and can advocate for solutions to the economic and social justice issues plaguing our world. The second is our growing science research program, where students spend three years researching a topic and working with a professional mentor in their chosen fields, often resulting in published works. The third is our house system that brings together students from different grades

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for a greater sense of brotherhood.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We are fortunate to have 37 acres of suburban green here in New Rochelle between our two campuses, which meant we had space to accommodate more students in-seat than most. Our goal was to be safe, seamless and synchronous so that both students and their parents knew exactly what to expect each day.

“The more than $150,000 we invested in cameras, testing software and other instructional technology will not go to waste. While not immediate — as students and teachers alike have probably had their fill of virtual meetings for a while — the option for virtual classes and greater blended learning will be incorporated more into our regular curriculum. Moreover, the enhanced collaboration afforded to us by some of these new instructional tools is now steering our academic focus toward project-based learning.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I’d like to say the governance and finance, the facilities and policy, the strategic planning and evaluations, but that is not the case. Daily interactions with students, participating in

“As an undergraduate student at Iona College, I met a number of Christian Brothers who were teachers and administrators there. I (later) felt the call to enter the Congregation of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. (The congregation’s) focus is education and I knew then that was my calling.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“Actually, there were a few. I was fortunate enough to have Frank Cooper as a teacher in high school. He taught us the importance of prayer in our lives. Both Sister Peggy O’Neill and Brother Mike Bradley taught undergraduate courses at Iona College in the religious studies department. Their impact on my formation continues. Bottom line, always continue becoming the person God wants you to be.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I like to stay active. Long walks are always a way to relax. I’m not averse to a round of golf, and I do enjoy a good book.”

IONA PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Brother Thomas R. Leto NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 150 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 1,003 ANNUAL TUITION: $11,300 to $18,750 For more, visit ionaprep.org.

Carol Maoz, head of school, King School

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ormerly known as King Low Heywood Thomas — a confluence of three 19th-century founding schools — King School is a private, coeducational day school for prekindergarten through grade 12 in Stamford.

Carol Maoz recently joined King School as interim head of school, having completed an 11-year term as head of school at The Foote School in New Haven. The mother of three grown children, she has an undergraduate degree in kindergarten through eighth grade education and a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Maoz also has work experience in counseling as well as organizational development, management training, communication and team building in the high-tech sector.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Many may know that King draws from over 30 local towns, but you might be surprised to learn that our faculty and student body boast 65 different countries of origin. It is not surprising we have such a rich global studies program.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“King remained open for in-person learning all year round, with the option of virtual learning when needed. We made decisions based on our expertise as educators, and we were committed to relying on the strongest available scientific evidence and other data when making decisions about the health and safety of the school community. Most of all, we remained committed to making decisions that clearly align with King's mission, values, virtues and strategic plan.”

Which aspects of running a school are most compelling to you?

“The opportunity to learn from and with students every day, the great honor of supporting the professional development of teachers and the role as a resource to parents as they navigate the challenges of parenting.”

King School student. Courtesy King School.

What recent experience at school made you smile?

“Every day, I interact with the youngest children on campus and that can't help but raise a smile. At all grade levels, our students ask deep and important questions. Engaging with them centers me every day on the importance and joy of our work and the privilege to do it.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I was brought up to be humble, so this is a tough question. The most meaningful feedback I have received is that I listen with an open heart and an open mind, that I am always present when I speak with people and that both students and families feel heard and seen by me.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“Picture a young girl in the first grade whose greatest pleasure is to go home after school and stand in front of her blackboard with her white chalk and teach her dolls what she had learned that day in school. That child was me. I knew from a young age that I wanted to teach.

For me, teaching is more of a calling than an occupation. As educators, we truly play an important part in building a more just, kind and empathetic world.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“Looking back, my second-grade teacher was one of my favorite teachers. She created a safe environment — safe to learn, to ask questions, to make mistakes and safe to be ourselves. I certainly remember her homemade brownies that she baked for the class, but it was that air of certainty that we were in a good place that remains with me. “Years later, my 12th grade criminology teacher impacted my life forever.

Not only did he treat his students with respect, but he also made us feel that it was his honor

Carol Maoz

KING SCHOOL SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Carol Maoz NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 207 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 700 ANNUAL TUITION: $34,050 to $46,760 For more, visit kingschoolct.org.

to be teaching us. Long before the U.S. prison system was a topic of national concern, our teacher encouraged us to think about prison reform and to ask important questions. He valued our questions more than he valued having the correct answer.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I read books, take late afternoon walks and spend time with my family — at least on FaceTime. And when I have the time, I indulge in binge-watching Netflix shows.”

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Anna E. Parra, president, Maria Regina High School

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ounded in 1957 as the first New York archdiocesan girls’ high school in Westchester County, Maria Regina is an independent Roman Catholic school in Hartsdale, dedicated to educating young women in grades nine through 12.

Anna E. Parra has just completed her second year as president of Maria Regina. A graduate of both Fordham University (B.S.) and The College of New Rochelle (M.S.), she has dedicated the majority of her career to working in schools for the archdiocese, most recently as president of Aquinas High School and earlier as executive director of development for the Academy of Mount St. Ursula, both in the Bronx. She is the mother of two children.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Maria Regina will be celebrating 65 years of educating young women in 2022. We have graduated over 10,000 students who have been inspired with the charism of the Sisters of the Resurrection, our foundresses and who have been instilled with our pillars of scholarship, service and spirit. We look forward to celebrating the school's rich history, our current community and the future with much promise.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“Although a very difficult year for everyone, especially faculty and students, we followed our reopening plan and all guidance and protocols. Our school principal, (Maria) Carozza-McCaffrey, and I worked together and did our best to have a successful school year. Although we look forward to being fully in-person in September and holding in-school events, we plan to utilize remote learning and meetings when convenient or needed. It is a Plan B we now have in place.”

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Anna E. Parra (left). Courtesy Maria Regina High School.

lum continue to be an option for families.”

MARIA REGINA HIGH SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Anna E. Parra NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 65 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 500 girls ANNUAL TUITION: $12,850 For more, visit mariaregina.org.

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“Being involved in projects to provide new resources for our students and implement enhancements to better serve our community.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I feel that my joy permeates all that I do. I truly enjoy the work I am doing and I am grateful for the talented and dedicated administration, faculty and staff I have here. I am proud and blessed to be part of this wonderful community, which is really my second family.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“I cherish the value Catholic school education has brought to my life. I am and will always be committed to seeing a spiritually devoted and academically rigorous curricu-

Did you have a favorite teacher who impacted your life?

“My favorite teacher is Professor Teri Gamble whom I met during my master’s studies at The College of New Rochelle. She brought so much to the communications program that it inspired me to do more than just fundraise. I made the decision that I wanted to be part of a Catholic school community where I could make a difference and positively impact students, alumnae, parents and the greater community. In addition, I wanted to mentor others to help continue the work we are doing to keep our schools viable for many years to come.”

Tell us about an encounter that reaffirmed your career choice.

“A student was having difficulty in her sophomore year and her mother contemplated withdrawing her — although the young woman wanted to continue her education through graduation. After assuring both that the student would have every resource available to her to complete her education, they decided to stay.

At graduation when I conferred her diploma, the student hugged and thanked me. She wrote me a beautiful note explaining how grateful she was and how much my support meant to her.

Being able to make an impact in someone's life, especially to obtain her dream of completing her education in a Catholic school, is what brings so much fulfillment to my life.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I work out when I can, play the guitar on occasion and spend time with my family.”

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AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Laura Danforth, head of school, The Masters School

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ounded as an all-girls school in 1877, The Masters School is a coeducational, private school on a 96-acre campus in Dobbs Ferry, with boarding and day school programs for middle and high school.

Laura Danforth has served as head of school for six years. Having earned an M.A. in counseling psychology from Lesley University and a B.A. in psychology and anthropology from Colby-Sawyer College, she held various administrative, leadership roles at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Miss Porter’s School, Suffield Academy, Ethel Walker School and St. Paul’s School. She and her wife have three grown children and two granddaughters.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“As an independent day school and a boarding school, we are fortunate to have students on our campus from 26 different countries and 10 states. In the world that our students will be shaping, having meaningful, relational experiences with a wide variety of perspec-

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Laura Danforth. Courtesy The Masters School.

tives and cultures is essential. In light of our emphasis on a global perspective in much of our curriculum, having representatives from all over the world brings depth and integrity to our program. Our campus is a hub of activity seven days a week, and the interaction among our students — whether it’s in the classroom, in the dorms, on the athletic fields or on the stage — reinforces our school’s strong sense of community.

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“Our students, faculty, administrators and parents summoned their collective might to weather the challenges of a most unconventional year. We have emerged stronger and filled with a renewed sense of purpose. We were able to bring our students safely back to campus in October, while also accommodating those students who were unable to return with a robust virtual learning option.

“In addition to the many health protocols in place, weekly Covid-19 testing for our entire community ensured that we maintained a safe learning environment. Our 96-acre campus provided wonderful opportunities for us to safely explore new and innovative ways of teaching, learning, performing and engaging our community. Our teachers inspired, challenged and developed new ways to teach. We held fast to our mission. We pivoted, repeatedly and, in so doing, developed greater resilience, better communication, more resolve.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I have the good fortune to live on The Masters School campus, which allows me to be present in the lives of our students at all times. I have lived on boarding school campuses for nearly my entire academic career. It’s often during these ‘off hours,’ when I’m taking an early evening walk on the track, that students approach me and ask me to join them in their discussions or activities.

I love walking around campus and seeing students enjoy each other’s company. As the head of school, I take pride in our close-knit community that is caring, compassionate and replete with high intellectual standards.”

THE MASTERS SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Laura Danforth FACULTY/STUDENT RATIO: 1:8 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 674 ANNUAL TUITION: $51,500 For more, visit mastersny.org.

Scott Alan Nelson. Courtesy Rye Country Day School.

Scott Alan Nelson, Rye Country Day School

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ocated in Rye on a 26-acre campus, Rye Country Day School is a coeducational, college preparatory school dedicated to providing students from prekindergarten through grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches.

With a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, Scott Nelson kicked off his educational career as a history teacher and coach at his alma mater, Hackley School in Tarrytown. He later earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Fordham University and served as the head of Upper School at Hackley and Marlborough School (in California) before coming to Rye Country Day School 28 years ago to accept the role of head of school. Nelson and his wife have twin adult daughters.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“RCDS was founded as a girls’ school in 1869, became coed through grade nine in the 1920s and then went fully coed in the mid1960s.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We had a combination of 100% in-person (grades pre-K to five), and hybrid-flex (grades six through 12) for two-thirds of the year and then moved to 100% in-person in early April. We also conducted weekly Covid pool testing of 1,200 students and employees. We found a number of virtual events such as parent/guardian meetings, community-wide conversations and admissions programs were well-attended and effective on Zoom.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“As a scholarship student, I found teachers and coaches had an incredibly positive impact on my life.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“One of my high school English teachers explained how he often reread books to find new ideas and develop new approaches to his teaching.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I take a daily 45-minute walk, starting at 6 a.m.”

“I get to attend student presentations, performances, concerts, art shows, athletic contests.

I have a ‘season pass’ to everything that happens at school involving students from pre-K to grade 12.”

RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL AT A GLANCE

Tell us about an encounter at school that put a smile on your face.

HEAD OF SCHOOL: Scott A. Nelson

“Just seeing students' excitement about returning to school this past year after being fully remote in the spring of 2020.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 220 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 935

“Retention of details resulting in strong institutional memory.”

ANNUAL TUITION: $39,400 to $47,900

What led you to choose education as a career?

For more, visit ryecountryday.org.

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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SACRED HEART GREENWICH AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Margaret Frazier NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: nearly 200 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 600+ ANNUAL TUITION: $38,800 to $46,500 For more, visit shgreenwich.org.

Margaret C. Frazier (far right). Courtesy Sacred Heart Greenwich.

Margaret C. Frazier, Sacred Heart Greenwich

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ne of 200 network schools in 44 countries, Sacred Heart Greenwich provides a learning environment for girls and young women from kindergarten through 12th grade to prepare them to become confident, intelligent and compassionate global leaders. The school is located on a 110-acre campus.

A graduate of Dartmouth College who later studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Frazier arrived from London in July 2020 to accept the role of head of school at Sacred Heart Greenwich. She was an Edward E. Ford Foundation fellow and worked briefly for Arnold & Porter, a corporate law firm in Washington, D.C., before shifting to a career in education.

She has three grown children.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“We have an observatory and are recently an Audubon-certified sanctuary property (110 acres with a garden and now natural meadows).”

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How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“Our school planned well from April 2020 in order to bring back everyone to campus in September. We created a vision of ‘every girl, every day,’ with the buy-in of our board of trustees, school leadership team, faculty and parents. We let go of some of the worry about coverage in classes and focused more on skills, interdisciplinary projects and alternative assessments. Our faculty spent several days after school ending in professional growth workshops around the questions of ‘what to let go of to build back stronger.’ We will continue to assess the ‘silver linings’ of Covid as they relate to time, joyful learning, wellness and redefining success and school/ life balance.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“The students are the heart of any school. I love the idea of learning every day. Schools are the best place to feel vital, energized, infused with creativity. No day is ever the same.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I do not believe the art of a handwritten note is yet dead. Connecting across snail mail with students, parents, alumnae and friends of the school is a passion and a superpower.

It builds a trust, a sense of caring and lets others know how important they are to me and the school community.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“During my time at Arnold & Porter, I was a tutor in the D.C. public schools and also a translator in their pro-bono advocacy program. I loved my third graders at Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School and the progress we made in reading, writing and learning about life. Their classroom teacher encouraged me to see teaching as the rewarding vocation it is.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“My favorite teacher, hands down, was my mother. She taught first grade and kindergarten for nearly 50 years. Firm and fair, she taught three generations of families in the town in which she grew up.

She was generous, demanding, encouraging and always talked about how attitude is a choice. I saw in her how much impact teachers have, how hard they work for the benefit of their students and how much love one receives in this profession.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“My garden is my refuge and my teacher.

It is humbling to plan, observe, succeed and many times fail in the garden. I have come to love heirloom seed and plants — trying to find native varieties to attract butterflies, bees and also keep the deer at bay.”

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AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Colleen Pettus, head of school, School of the Holy Child

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chool of the Holy Child (SHC), established in 1904, is a member of the Roman Catholic network of Holy Child Schools, located across the United States, Africa and Europe. Based in Rye, SHC is an independent, college-preparatory school for girls grades five through 12.

Named head of School of the Holy Child this past March, Colleen Pettus has been an administrator on campus since 2012 when she joined SHC as head of the middle school and eight years later was named interim head of school.

A graduate of the University at Albany and Teachers College, Columbia University, Pettus, who is a mother of four, has known since her teenage years that teaching was her destiny.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Despite our intentionally small size, we are dedicated to student choice when it comes to curriculum. Our curriculum also adapts to “meeting the wants of the age,” as our founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Cornelia Connelly, wanted for the network of schools. For next year, we have created a new public health elective for seniors in light of the learning opportunities that the pandemic has challenged us to address. This course, along with our new Advanced Humanities Institute, shows our dedication to a full breadth of academic experiences that can inspire true joy in teaching and joy in learning.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We were blessed to be able to be together in school four days a week during the 2020-21 school year. Our entire school community worked very hard to foster connections and offer meaningful experiences for our students both inside and outside the classroom.

“An added bonus of this year was the increased use of our beautiful campus. Some classes were held outside and our girls en-

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Colleen Pettus (right). Courtesy School of the Holy Child.

NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 81

care about the people who are Holy Child.

While that sounds simple, when you lean into difficult conversations, from a place of genuine care and trust, that is when the real work gets done. When presented with any situation, I aim to see the widest perspective possible to fully understand and then make intentional, empathic decisions. Relationships are essential to all we do at Holy Child.”

STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 380

What led you to choose a career in education?

SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Colleen Pettus

gaged with both the campus and curriculum in new and different ways. There is no doubt that we will continue to take our learning outside to encourage more experiential learning and positively impact our community’s overall wellness.”

“My mother went back to college to get her teaching degree when I was in middle school.

Often when I woke up for school, she would already be at the kitchen table — working. That image and her dedication to quality education had a great impact on me. Later in high school, after giving a presentation on John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” my teacher paused and looked straight at me and said, “I’m going to make an English teacher out of you.” These experiences, coupled with my love for working with children, led me down the path of an educator.

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

ANNUAL TUITION: $25,000 to $36,000 For more, visit holychildrye.org.

“I love how each day is different — meeting and planning with different constituents while always keeping our students at the heart of what we do. The role demands a deep and wide skill set and you are given many opportunities for growth each day by listening, learning and collaborating.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“Leadership is about relationships and I truly

“My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Coluccio, took a great interest in me as a writer and as a reader.

That interest both in me and my work developed the love I have for the humanities and the transformative middle school years.”

How do you recharge in your free time?

“I love to be outdoors, watch really good TV and spend quality time with my family and friends. As a big sports fan, I am also sure to get to a few Mets games each summer.”

“Vision. Prior to beginning my tenure as headmaster at Trinity-Pawling, I led the venture of creating and leading an independent day school. It was in this process that I discovered that I had strengths that combined having a vision of what did not yet exist with an ability to build the foundation and supporting structures to support this vision so that it reaches fruition. I have used these skills toward creating an innovative curriculum for Trinity-Pawling, as well as other forward-thinking initiatives at the school.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“I wanted to have a career where I could help young people discover the joys of learning and help them reach toward their potential as human beings.”

What reaffirms your career choice?

William W. Taylor. Courtesy Trinity-Pawling School.

William W. Taylor, Trinity-Pawling School

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ounded in 1907, Trinity-Pawling School is a college preparatory boarding and day school located on a 230-acre campus in Pawling, where the school serves boys in grades seven through 12 and offers a postgraduate program as well.

Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree at Kenyon College in 1985, and while subsequently working in advertising, he had an epiphany that he wanted to pursue a career that emanated from a commitment to service — which led him to earn a master’s degree in religion at Yale University. Taylor later served as president of St. George’s Independent School for 14 years. In 2015, he accepted the position of headmaster at Trinity Pawling School, where he had served as associate headmaster in the 1990s. He and his wife, Jennifer Luce Taylor, are parents to two adult children.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Among the many successful alumni of the school is Frank Morgan, who played Oz in ‘The Wizard of Oz’. His legacy is a reminder to

have a bold vision but to not let such boldness obscure the fundamental value of humility.”

How did your school cope during the pandemic?

“We placed a significant amount of focus on emphasizing our collective responsibilities to serve and protect the health of the common good of the community. It was a very successful navigational objective and we made it through the year with minimal exposure to Covid.

“Like most boarding schools, we did not bring students back to campus for the short period of time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. Instead, we focused on project-based learning while being remote.

This was highly successful. When we return to school (this fall), we will be on campus for this period between the two vacations, but we will use this time for experiential, project-oriented teaching and learning rather than traditional classes.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I enjoy being a part of the transformational process of growth in the lives of young people by providing foundations of timeless values that are bolstered by the introduction of skills and learning motifs that will be expected of them in an ever-changing world.”

What superpower do you bring to the school?

“I am reaffirmed whenever a young person begins to realize that they possess distinctive gifts and talents — and that these gifts and talents are qualities about themselves that they can begin to access, through the assistance of talented teachers, to find the joys of learning and the passions of life.”

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

“I credit Mr. Sam Hougas of Darien High School, who had the most profound impact on my career choice. Not only did he help introduce me to the joys of studying history, but he also challenged me to become a more complete and thorough student. He was a mentor who saw strengths in me that I could not see at that age.”

How do you recharge in your free time?

“I like to recharge by finding time to reflect on walks, playing golf, riding my bike or listening to music. I also enjoy reading as a means to introduce new insights and revelations.”

TRINITY-PAWLING SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: William W. Taylor NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 60 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 200 ANNUAL TUITION: $47,000 to $66,000 For more, visit trinitypawling.org.

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Colleen Melnyk. Courtesy The Ursuline School.

Colleen Melnyk, president, The Ursuline School

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he Ursuline School is an independent, Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls on a 13-acre campus in New Rochelle. Founded in 1897, the school is part of a network of 15 Ursuline schools around the world. It is the sister school to Iona Preparatory School.

Melnyk is its new president. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, she worked as a paralegal in New York City before returning to her alma mater to earn both a master’s and doctorate in education.

She is the parent of a 25-year-old son as well as a 20-year-old daughter who is a proud alumna of The Ursuline School.

Tell us something surprising about your school.

“Students at The Ursuline School possess an esprit de corps around serviam. The students

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take great pride in their service to the school and greater community.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

THE URSULINE SCHOOL AT A GLANCE

“I love being the decision-maker in the building who directly and positively impacts students.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL: Colleen Melnyk

What superpower do you bring to the school?

NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: nearly 132

“I am a thoughtful listener and true team player. I have the ability to bring groups of people together and work in consensus towards a common goal.”

What led you to choose education as a career?

“I never forgot the thrilling experience of teaching a child to tie his shoes and, later, to float and swim in a pool during one summer when I was a teenager. I began to wonder how thrilling it would be to teach children to read. I spent 19 years as a classroom teacher and have been enriched by my experiences working with students and their families.”

Tell us about an encounter that reaffirmed your career choice.

“I had a conversation with a student recently who told me she wanted to become an educator because ‘the people who work in schools really do change students’ lives.’”

STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 800 ANNUAL TUITION: $19,725 For more, visit ursulinenewrochelle.org.

Did you have a favorite teacher who affected your life?

My fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Yarmas, always reminded me to ‘reach forward’ and ‘do more.’

She told me she had great faith in my ability to accomplish any goal I set for myself. To this day, I remind myself to keep moving forward, especially when I encounter setbacks or difficult circumstances.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I love to read and take long walks.”

PASSION & PURPOSE

Join the MOVEment

Saturday, September 25, Westchester County

An education is more than acquiring knowledge.

It’s about opening hearts.

Exploring faith.

Discovering your best self.

That’s true empowerment.

We inspire young women to be thoughtful global leaders.

OPEN HOUSES

BIKE HSS is a one-day cycling event with two route options, 25 miles and 62 miles.

Upper School—10/21 at 6:30 p.m.

All Schools—11/6 at 9:00 a.m.

ADMISSION TOUR DAYS

This event will raise critical funds for patient care, research, and education to enable people around the world to MOVE better.

10/14, 11/11, 12/9, 1/13—9:00 a.m.

BIKE HSS

SHGREENWICH.ORG

Register at BIKEHSS.org

RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Not for Self, but for Service —School Motto

Providing students from Pre-K through Grade 12 with excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches.

CAMPUS

26 acres featuring state-of-the art academic, athletic, and creative facilities. Conveniently accessible by train. Students and faculty commute from Fairfield and Westchester counties and New York City. Explore campus at www.ryecountryday.org/virtualtour

CORE VALUES R

RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY

C

COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

D

DIVERSITY WITHIN AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

S

SERVICE

WILDCATS RY E C O U N T RY D AY S C H O O L A T H L E T I C S

COLLEGE MATRICULATION

The most popular college choices for RCDS students in 2017-2021 Cornell University (28) University of Pennsylvania (25) Harvard University (18) New York University (15) Northwestern University (13) Brown University (12)

University of Chicago (12) Colgate University (12) Duke University (12) Georgetown University (12) University of Michigan (12) Bucknell University (11)

Number of students attending in parentheses

SIGNATURE INITIATIVES • Health & Wellness • Diversity & Inclusion • Educational Technology • Global Studies • Public Purpose • STEAM • Sustainability

RCDS BY THE NUMBERS

900+ Students

15

Average Class Size

40+

NY and CT school districts

37%

Self Identify as People of Color

7:1

Student Faculty Ratio

6.3M

Distributed for Financial Aid

Learn more and apply at ryecountryday.org/admission RCDS_Ad 1.indd 1

7/21/21 8:46 AM

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

37

Beth Sugerman, Norwalk head of school, Winston Preparatory School

W

inston Preparatory School is an innovative private day school for students through 12th grade with a variety of learning differences, including dyslexia and executive functioning difficulties such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Winston has seven campuses, including the newly designed one in Norwalk.

After completing an undergraduate degree in speech and language pathology, Sugerman earned a Master of Science degree at Teachers College, Columbia University and was sent to Winston Preparatory School in Manhattan for her placement experience. Twenty-four years later, Sugerman is the head of the school’s Norwalk campus, a position she has held for 14 years.

What is something surprising about your school that others may not know about?

“How happy kids are to be here. How welcoming a community Winston is. I think that one of the highest compliments we've received is how quickly students who perhaps felt unsuccessful and did not like school before, get up and come to school. We also hear that from new faculty members as well — how welcoming the teachers are and supportive and helpful. And there's a true sense of community versus ‘this is a school for kids with learning challenges.’

This is a school where kids learn in a manner in which they can become successful. When kids feel safe and understood, anything's possible.”

Which aspects of running a school are most appealing to you?

“I love the collaboration. I love working with smart professionals and people who understand what we do. It's a bit outside the box — grouping students with similar learning profiles, teaching to that profile, providing the oneto-one program, targeting students' greatest areas of needs academically and, sometimes, socially-emotionally. I think that we see our kids as puzzles and we like to work together and figure out that puzzle so we can provide the best and the most optimal experience.

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Beth Sugerman (left). Courtesy Winston Preparatory School.

WINSTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT A GLANCE HEAD OF SCHOOL: Beth Sugerman NUMBER OF FACULTY AND STAFF: 54 STUDENT ENROLLMENT: 125 ANNUAL TUITION: $73,300 For more, visit winstonprep.edu.

for an extremely philanthropic chairman of a very successful company, I decided, with my husband’s encouragement, that I wanted to finish my degree in speech-pathology.”

What inspired you to choose a career in education?

“When I was researching the career, I liked the science piece. I think that what I love about Winston is that we look at the science of learning and the art of teaching. And I think it's a combination that's provided the successful mission here. We don't consider ourselves just educators.”

What reaffirms your career choice?

Ultimately, we want the kids to feel successful and feel good about themselves and feel that they are capable. And a lot of our kids come to us without those abilities or feelings.”

What is your superpower?

“I think my superpower is supporting students, families and faculty — kind of maintaining positivity, problem solving and thinking ahead.”

Did you have another career before going into education?

“Actually, I did. I had a few careers. My initial career was family driven. I come from a background of folks in the fashion industry in Manhattan and I went to college for a few years and felt that wasn't the direction I wanted or was succeeding within, so I worked in the fashion industry and loved it. After (subsequently) working as an executive assistant

“I think graduation day is the most rewarding day for us all. Our seniors are provided the option to give a personal speech. And this past year we had 17 out of 24 seniors speak to their experience — who they were when they arrived at Winston and who they are leaving. That's when I tell them, "This was a day we live for," and it kind of keeps me going for a while.”

What do you do to recharge in your free time?

“I have three dogs and they like to take nice long walks, and they get me out every day, no matter the weather.”

Do your dogs come to school with you?

“They do. I like to say there are more pictures of them in the yearbook than me. They are all rescues. They're kind of like honorary therapy dogs and kids love to come in and visit with them or, if they're struggling, they like to hang out with the pets and, of course, feel better soon after.’

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ACADEMICS SERVICE COMMUNITY SPIRITUALITY CONFIDENCE POSSIBILITIES

OPEN HOUSES

Sat. Oct. 23, 11- 4 | Wed. Oct. 27, 6:30- 8pm | Virtual: Wed. Nov. 3, 6:30- 8pm

To register online visit www.ursulinenewrochelle.org AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Pollin g th e o m c s m s e u n n i it y s u b STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER KATZ

S

pend some time with Kathy Winsted, director of the Center for Student Enterprise at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, and you’ll walk away impressed with her enthusiasm for the new Pace Business Poll and its potential to bring unique learning experiences to her students while enabling the school to carve out a niche for itself in the crowded field of polling.

Indeed, Winsted’s involvement in the new project is a logical extension of her extensive and varied career. She started as an associate professor at Pace in 1994, becoming director of the center in 2013. The Center for Student Enterprise provides a home for several student-run businesses, including Pace Connect, a research and call center.

Before entering academia, Winsted was founder and president of Frazer Consulting, which provided marketing strategies and implementation to more than 100 clients.

Winsted served the administration of President Jimmy Carter as executive director of the

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Energy Conservation Task Force at the White House and special assistant to the Secretary of Transportation. Her government background also includes stints for Massachusetts, Boston and Middlebury, Vermont. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Middlebury College, a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Colorado.

“We want it to be an ongoing thing that will link Pace to the communities that we’re in as well as establish some expertise that people will begin to count on for information about local area businesses,” Winsted said about the Pace Business Poll.

HOW IT WORKS

Numerous commercial polling organizations and institutions of higher learning are cranking out surveys of what people think about subjects as diverse as whether they prefer Donald Trump or Barack Obama (60% Obama, 42% Trump, by Fox News) or have a positive view of the movie industry (42% of Americans do, by Gallup Inc.).

The Pace Business Poll was launched in partnership with The Business Council of New York State and The Business Council of Westchester.

The first poll in what the founders plan as a twice-yearly series focused on the effect of the pandemic on business in Westchester, Rockland, Long Island and New York City and the businesses’ plans for the future.

Winsted said that students who were active in the research and call center had expressed an interest in using Pace Connect for conducting polls.

“They mostly do research for Pace depart-

ments. They do research for the career services department, for alumni relations, other departments on campus and they have been wanting for quite a while to do a poll,” Winsted told WAG. “They developed the plan for this Pace Business Poll with help from a number of professors and deans,” Winsted said. “They developed the first round of questions. It was then edited by The Westchester Business Council, The Business Council of New York State as well as our dean’s office, myself, so it was a group effort to put the questions together.”

She added that while respondents can answer questions online, students have done outbound calling, sent emails and conducted interviews to gather data.

“We have a few open-ended questions to try to get opinions and ideas and learn more indepth, qualitative information so they’ve been analyzing all of that and categorizing it and talking about it in their report,” Winsted said.

“They’ve done an initial draft report. They have now left for the summer so I will be finalizing it, but it is a student enterprise.”

“We want the Pace Business Poll to be a standard thing,” Winsted said. “We’re assuming that as we move forward, word gets out through the Westchester County Business Journal and other sources…that Pace does this survey, that you should get your voice heard, that you should be part of this survey (and) help us to understand local business, that it will get easier and easier as we get better known to get the responses.”

Winsted noted that the dean of Pace’s Lubin School of Business, Lawrence G. Singleton, is on board with the polling program. He had served as dean of the School of Management at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. That college is known by many for the Marist Poll, which covers a variety of subjects from politics to one released on June 11 showing that 92% of Americans put a topping on their hot dogs with 47% preferring mustard and 30% favoring ketchup.

SNEAK PEEK

Winsted provided WAG with a preview of what the initial Pace Business Poll has found, although there will be additional study of the data and comments received.

“We have found that almost every business made some changes during the pandemic, but that many businesses, the majority in fact, feel that they’re stronger after the pandemic instead of weaker,” Winsted said. “They’ve learned things from the pandemic and they plan to change procedures moving forward. They plan to keep some of the procedures that they’ve changed like more people working from home

Kathy Winsted, director for Student Enterprise at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and director of the new Pace Business Poll.

Courtesy Pace University.

as really the most common area, more use of technology moving forward, so they have found that they can do remote working and be productive. They found that technology can help them.”

She said that many of the companies that were interviewed reported using technology “to improve their processes, to speed up what they’re doing and they’ve learned a lot from that.”

Winsted said that while the Pace Business Poll will grow in significance for the business community, it will also grow in importance for the lessons Pace students will learn and apply in their vocations after graduation.

“There are so many — how to communicate with professionals; how to sound professional; how to be professional; the emailing skills — the data analysis skills are huge; the survey writing skills; and how to ask questions without bias,” Winsted said. “They’re learning a lot about presenting results as well.”

Randi Priluck, associate dean of undergraduate programs at the Lubin School of Business said that the proposal to move forward with the poll was well-received by the school’s administration.

“These skills are crucial in almost any career these days, so having the students get firsthand experience with data analysis is very good for them and in running a business,” Priluck said, adding that working at the Pace Connect center or other student-run businesses provides unique experiences.

“So many jobs they’ll go into are business-to-business jobs, so they’ll already have experience dealing with clients, dealing with adults, learning the language of the business, running research and the importance of that, Priluck said. “So it really provides them a lot of opportunities when they go out in their careers.

They’re some of our most sought-after students, because they have this real-world experience.”

Priluck said that it’s possible in the future that the scope of subjects covered in Pace polling might be broadened: “Right now we’re thinking strictly business and focusing on the recovery, but it’s very possible that this could be expanded to do more and different kinds of polls and get more students involved.

“We wouldn’t do a political poll, because we’re a business school and we think that the value for us is not in politics or political polls but in business-related polls. Consumer sentiment types of things might fit with that and other business-related polling could work as well.”

For more, visit lubin.pace.edu.

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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It’s not just educating business professionals.

It’s training community leaders.

Any Master of Business Administration (MBA) program can promise a rigorous curriculum to equip students for the challenges of corporate leadership.

Much rarer is an internationally-recognized school like Sacred Heart University’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT) that not only provides top notch instruction from distinguished business professionals, but also infuses a mission like “educating leaders to make a positive contribution to the community” into its plan of study. The Welch College’s Catholic intellectual tradition informs its emphasis on positive social impact. Part of its MBA capstone, SHU’s Center for Nonprofit Organizations provides MBA students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills while assisting not-for-profits in achieving their goals and servicing the greater needs of the community.

An essential element in preparing leaders for success in the evolving global business environment is nurturing real-world, ethical problem-solving skills. Founded in 2002, the Center for Nonprofit Organizations allows SHU MBA students to make valuable contributions as marketing, operations or analytical consultants addressing the long-term viability and effectiveness of not-for-profits.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF MBA CAPSTONE—SHU’S CENTER FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Through the Center, students provide a valuable, pro bono service while being exposed to “realities of life” that transcend the formal academic environment. It is the mission of the Center to generate in the University’s MBA students a sense of community and an appreciation for those less fortunate by providing them a unique opportunity to use their talents in the service of others. Along with MBA consulting projects, the Center presents conferences, conducts training workshops, convenes communities of practice, places interns at nonprofits and promotes social entrepreneurship.

How it works Full-time MBA students at Sacred Heart have the unique opportunity to form consulting teams that work with clients to provide insights, guidance and a recommended course of action. Welch College advisers, each with broad academic and business experience, counsel the teams throughout the project. Candidates are required to clearly define the issue to be addressed, do extensive research, conduct personal interviews, make a review of best practices and apply other tools relevant to

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West Campus is SHU’s Center of Innovation and the Sacred Heart’s Center for Nonprofit Organization hosted a conference former world headquarters of General Electric. featuring guest speaker Vu Le, a non-profit leader who has spent over 13 years as an executive director. Photo by Mark F. Conrad

the client’s needs. The students present their findings and recommendations to clients and submit a final written report, to be used however the client sees fit. Types of projects include, but are not limited to: • Strategic planning • Marketing planning • Financial analysis • Communications planning • Education and training • Human resources • Technology WHO CAN BENEFIT? The talents of MBA students have been and can be applied to hundreds of projects from areas as diverse as the arts, education, health care, social justice, museums, the environment and local cities. A few previous clients have included: • Amos House Homeless Shelter • Barnum Museum • Beardsley Zoo • Bethel Recovery Center • Center for Family Justice • Cities of Bridgeport, Stamford and Fairfield • Doctors Without Borders • Fairfield County Community Foundation • Kids in Crisis • Make-A-Wish Foundation • Nursing and Home Care, Inc. • Sterling House Community Center • Valley Chapter, Red Cross

COMMUNITY RECOGNITION. NATIONAL SUPPORT. From being inducted into the Fairfield County Community’s Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence Hall of Fame after 17 years of helping area nonprofits achieve their goals to earning thousands of dollars in grants from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, SHU’s Center for Nonprofits has proven its commitment to making a difference. The CNP has been entrusted to expand its reach into cities like New Haven in addition to Bridgeport and Fairfield, help build thriving communities by addressing issues fundamental to economic health and sustainability and build a problem-based learning lab where MBA students can develop and facilitate training for nonprofit organizations, print related materials and coordinate applied-learning projects.

IS AN MBA WITH REAL SOCIAL IMPACT YOUR NEXT STEP? Perhaps you see yourself earning a different kind of MBA—one that gives you real experience solving relevant community issues while learning in state-of-the-art facilities from expert faculty in a program that pioneers the convergence of business and technology.

For further information on the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, please visit www.sacredheart.edu/businesscareer or contact Paul Rychlik, director of graduate admissions, gradstudies@sacredheart.edu, (203)365-7619.

NEXT STOP: SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY THE JACK WELCH COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY provides students with a competitive advantage in the workplace through our advanced programs, technology enabled facilities and highly skilled faculty.

DOCTORAL DEGREES l Doctor of Business Administration in Finance (DBA) MASTERS DEGREES l Master of Business Administration (MBA) l Accounting (M.S.) l Business Analytics (M.S.) l Computer Science & Information technology (M.S.) l Cybersecurity (M.S.) l Digital Marketing (M.S.) l Finance & Investment Management (M.S.) l Strategic Human Resource Management (M.S.) ATTEND OUR NEXT OPEN HOUSE ON JULY 14 TO LEARN MORE

www.sacredheart.edu/gradopenhouse

th e playin g g n i l e v e L a n p s i i c H s t r u o d f ent s d l e if

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

L

atino U College Access (LUCA) helps high-achieving but underserved Latino students from Hispanic-majority high schools in Elmsford, Ossining, Sleepy Hollow and White Plains attain the dream of becoming the first in their families to graduate from college. This year the White Plains nonprofit is working with 98 high school students and 172 college students – having guided them through everything from the SATs and ACTs to college applications and essays and financial aid forms. The numbers speak for themselves, with 65% of participants attending private colleges and 35% public. Overall, 98% complete college in four to six years (as compared to the national average of 54% for Hispanic students.) Of the LUCA attendees, 56% pursue studies in the STEM disciplines.

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But it’s not just the students who benefit.

The program operates under the premise that when you help a student, you help the individual’s family. This year, LUCA scholars are receiving $6.7 million in financial aid. That means the average annual out-of-pocket cost per family is $3,730. Without such financial and experiential assistance, college would be out of reach for these students.

The two women who guide LUCA know all about the hurdles of being the first in their Hispanic-American families to graduate from college and build successful careers and lives.

That’s why Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, LUCA’s CEO, founded the nonprofit in 2012. Like Buontempo, deputy executive director Cosette Gutierrez has used a distinguished career in the corporate world as a springboard for her work in the nonprofit sector.

Now as LUCA looks forward to its 10th anniversary, Buontempo is passing the day-to-day baton to Gutierrez, who has become executive director, with Buontempo slipping into her new position as strategic growth officer.

“When I launched LUCA, I was conscious of what’s best for the organization,” Buontempo says. “It’s time for me to step aside and take on a new role.”

The transition comes at a time when LUCA has been recognized by NBC 4 New York/ WNBC, Telemundo 47/WNJU and the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation with a $60,000 Project Innovation challenge grant. It’s one of eight tristate organizations to be so honored.

The funds will no doubt come in handy as LUCA looks toward its goals, which include bringing New Rochelle, Peekskill, Port Chester and Yonkers high schools into the program.

Indeed, not even the pandemic has stopped LUCA’s outreach.

“One would think it would’ve made us shutter,” says Gutierrez, who joined LUCA as deputy executive director in February of last year, just as the pandemic hit. “But it opened up the opportunity to rethink our approach and leverage technology and our outreach….We engaged

more students, volunteers and families.”

Ultimately, LUCA is about overcoming challenges to change lives.

“We believe in the transformative power of education,” Buontempo says. “Our goal is to give that same transformative experience to our (LUCA) children.”

Each woman, however, has taken a different path to that transformation:

SHIRLEY ACEVEDO BUONTEMPO

Born in Puerto Rico and raised there until age 10, Buontempo subsequently grew up in the Bronx, the daughter of a bus driver and a secretary in an accounting office. “I was told that college was not a serious option,” she says.

But through a combination of scholarships, student loans, federal and state help and a workstudy program, Buontempo received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pace University in White Plains.

“I was fortunate that I landed in Hispanic marketing,” she says. At divisions of Grey Advertising, Saatchi & Saatchi and at CPC International, Buontempo was an account and brand manager for TV, print and radio ads targeting a Hispanic audience.

At some point, however, she realized, “I don’t want to sell corn oil.” In 2001, she moved to the nonprofit world, where, she says, “I have found it very fulfilling to provide people with social services.”

At the Community Center of Northern Westchester in Katonah, which helps neighbors in need with food, clothing and programming, Buontempo served as assistant director and a member of the board. (She’s a northern Westchester resident, living in Somers with her husband and two daughters.) At Neighbors Link in Mount Kisco, which helps to integrate immigrants into the community, she was program and volunteer manager while pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree from Pace.

What she realized was that while there were many talented Latino students, they faced barriers that were not just financial but rather systemic. Thus LUCA was born.

The organization has brought Buontempo recognition in Fortune, Time and Hispanic Executive magazines and a 2019 AARP Purpose Prize.

But beyond honors, LUCA has given her “a passionate vocation and a purpose to my life, and I’m excited to see what the next 10 years will bring.”

COSETTE GUTIERREZ

At first glance, you might think it unlikely that Gutierrez would attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She grew up in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, the child of a single mother who worked in the bridal business in

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo and Cosette Gutierrez.

Courtesy Latino U College Access.

the Garment District. But Gutierrez’s mother “instilled in me the value of an education,” she says. And her guidance counselor at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, looking at her math and science grades, encouraged Gutierrez to shoot for MIT. So she typed up her application — and was accepted.

With her mother unable to afford the tuition, Gutierrez had to rely on other sources, such as a student loan and a work-study program. In the end, there were no out of pocket expenses for her mother, who nonetheless sent her daughter $20 every two weeks to make sure she had spending money for something she might need.

At first, Gutierrez says, the MIT environment was “intimidating.” Students usually waited for their families to bring the rest of their gear to the college. Gutierrez arrived with all of her belongings, because she knew her mother could not make the trek.

“But I also knew this was a way to change my family dynamic forever,” she says. At first, she thought about becoming an engineer but realized that was not the way she wanted to apply her math skills. Instead, she earned a bachelor’s degree from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Gutierrez sees her subsequent career in three phases. “The first was all about banking,” she says.

Her work for Citibank and Bank of America took her across the country and, in the case of Citibank, as far as Buenos Aires.

“Banking is very progressive,” she says. “It’s predominantly women, although very often they’re at the lower level. But I always found myself working for and with amazing women and amazing women of color.”

Indeed, she had only one experience in which she didn’t see herself reflected in the

workplace and that was when she worked briefly in the aerospace industry and found herself surrounded by older, white military men.

Gutierrez’s next, transitional phase took her to Target, community relations and locales across the country as she managed more than $30 million annually in corporate charitable giving. This led her to her next phase in the nonprofit world. At DonorsChoose — which matches teachers in need with those who can help fund their projects — Gutierrez served as vice president of fulfillment operations. It was at DonorsChoose that she heard about LUCA. Today, the Bronxville resident watches her young cousins go off to college with pride.

When one went to Harvard, Gutierrez says, “She told me, ‘I knew I could do it, because you did.’”

For more, visit latinoucollege.org.

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i n t e g k to a r a M a c u i d n i a e p n s ce i H

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

T

he Hispanic market in the United States represents 60.6 million people and a GDP of $2.3 trillion, which would make it the eighth largest economy in the world if it were its own country.

That’s a mother lode for American businesses to mine. And yet, it’s one that often alludes these businesses, because they don’t know how to engage a Hispanic audience.

So say Francisco “Paco” Sinta and Humberto Gutiérrez, the Connecticut-based co-founders of Fingerthink, whose “main objective,” Sinta says, “is to help companies explore opportunities to tap into the Hispanic market with a well-rounded strategy” — companies like ADT, AT&T, Dish Latino, Keches Law Group, Liberty Mutual, Productos Medicos 24 and Spectrum.

“Most of our companies see an increase

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in sales and profitability,” Sinta says. “If they didn’t see good profit margins, they wouldn’t be working with us.”

What Fingerthink — the name comes from linking the brain to the hand and communication devices — does is connect businesses with Hispanics’ core values.

“It’s very important to tap into a sensitivity to their cultures,” Sinta adds. In general, he and Gutiérrez say, Hispanic-Americans are family-minded and remain connected to their native lands through their mobile devices, their primary source of news. They’re also industrious. Some 60 percent of Hispanics make more than $40,000 a year. And they’re proud of their individual cultures of origin and their overall Hispanic identity, with 55% preferring to speak Spanish at home. That means targeting different aspects of what Sinta calls the “digital ecosystem” with a variety of Spanish, English and Spanglish.

“Do they talk on Snapchat or TikTok? Do they watch Netflix?” It’s not just what you say or how you say it, Sinta and Gutiérrez observe, but where you say it and when you say it.

The pair met at a Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon in 2015 and shortly thereafter decided to merge their synergies, Sinta’s digital company with Gutiérrez’s marketing one.

Sinta hails from Mexico City but moved to the United States in 1993 when his father — who worked in human resources for the Upjohn pharmaceutical company, now part of Viatris — was transferred to the headquarters in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sinta says he was excited about the move, having already been an exchange student in 1990 at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts.

He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Western Michigan Universi-

ty and headed to Miami, but with no job in his field he took one in project management.

“Every road was leading to sales.”

He also earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Broward County, Florida. “I knew I wasn’t going to go back to engineering,” he says with a laugh. In 2007, he moved to Brookfield, where he started his own company.

Meanwhile, Gutiérrez, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela, was getting an MBA of his own, from Universidad Metropolitana there, and worked for Johnson & Johnson and Unilever. Marrying and settling in Mexico, he, too, was looking for work and decided to start his own company in 2011. When his wife, who works for PepsiCo, was transferred to its Valhalla site, Gutiérrez decided to relaunch his company here. It was not long before he and Sinta would be off on their new venture.

Today both men make their homes in Brookfield. Sinta and his wife — Denise Noto, a delivery nurse at Danbury Hospital — are the parents of two teenagers, one a student at the University of Connecticut and one in high school. Gutiérrez and wife Gabriella González, a supply chain integration director in PepsiCo’s beverage division, have two elementary school-age children. Gutiérrez is a soccer dad who loves mountain biking and baseball.

Sinta loves soccer and baseball, too, along with tennis. Both men are fans of Real Madrid, the pro soccer team, but where they part company is in their baseball interests.

Sinta’s time in Florida has made a Miami Marlins fan out of him. Gutiérrez roots for the New York Yankees.

However, should any of these or other teams need help marketing to their Hispanic audiences, we know whom they can call.

For more, visit fingerthink.com.

Francisco “Paco” Sinta (left) and Humberto Gutiérrez are the Connecticut-based co-founders of Fingerthink, whose “main objective,” Sinta says, “is to help companies explore opportunities to tap into the Hispanic market with a well-rounded strategy.”

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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a s v e i ll a g e k a t t I T h e e Villag t a e r c e to STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY WAYNE

part of Wheelhouse Entertainment.

Sound as if it’s all come together pretty quickly.

C

overing 133,000 square feet with nearly 1,000 feet of walkable marina, The Village, a massive redevelopment in Stamford’s South End, fuses office space and private event venues with world-class food and beverage offerings.

Sounds interesting, so who’s behind it — bound to be some big names, right?

Right. Anchoring The Village is ex-MTV producer, media magnate and entrepreneur Brent Montgomery and his Wheelhouse brand, launched in 2018 in partnership with Jimmy Kimmel, host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. Wheelhouse Properties, Wheelhouse’s real estate arm, was founded and is run by Brent’s wife, Courtney Montgomery, née Napurano, who is The Village’s developer.

Er, Wheelhouse Brand?

The company comprises four businesses — Wheelhouse Entertainment; marketing arm Wheelhouse Labs, investment arm Wheelhouse Partners and the aforementioned Wheelhouse Properties. Kimmel is a partner and his production business, Kimmelot, is

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Correct. Plans for the four-floor property coalesced in late 2017, when the Montgomerys acquired the site and structure for $7.6 million, through an entity known as Stamford Media Village.

With all due respect, $7.6 million doesn’t sound like a whole lot these days.

True, but what may seem like a snip for a waterside site in Stamford, a city which is growing apace (albeit not without some growing pains), is a great deal of cash if you’re left with a white elephant on the water. Not that that’s going to happen, obviously.

And the Montgomerys have a connection to the area?

As Greenwich residents, the Montgomerys have witnessed Stamford’s rise as a media hub in the past few years. Trust us, these guys know what they’re doing.

Any other businesses joining the party?

Absolutely. The growing real-estate operation under the Wheelhouse aegis, private social clubs and ITV America are all coming aboard.

ITV America?

That’s the British-founded TV channel and reality-TV powerhouse, which is now the largest independent, nonscripted producer in the U.S.A.

And we’re assuming green credentials?

The large-scale, work/play environment also encompasses Connecticut’s first LEED v4 commercial building, making it outstandingly energy-efficient.

So, what does The Village actually look like?

Stripped down and gutted, with its slender red brick borders framing vast leaded win-

dows, the redevelopment could be described as post-Victorian meets state-of-the-art modern car showroom. Which still doesn’t do justice to it, because this is a very good-looking construction indeed. The original structure is over a century old and once operated as a wire factory.

And the “feel”?

Think once-sleepy waterfront with a touch of urban grit — a backwater canal where fisherman could happily while away an afternoon, mingled with a bit of edgy, “Bonfire of the Vanities” realism. In other words, it’ll be fun working, having dinner or weekend brunch here or drinking by the marina late evening, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to wander around the parking lot at 4 a.m.

And who’s designed this beauty?

That would be Stamford-based CPG Architects, with Norwalk-based A. Pappajohn leading the building work.

Tell us about the restaurants.

As you might expect, eating and drinking are going to play a big role at The Village.

Cisco Brewers, the well-established but super-hot brewery out of Nantucket, is going to give The Village a seaside vibe. And then there’s The Wheel, with its mouth-watering menu of modern classics, everything carefully and responsibly sourced. (A full review of The Wheel will appear in September WAG.) Oh, and look out for the tequila bar upstairs, where leather, marble and velvet create an atmosphere that is simultaneously sophisticated and playful.

Outside space?

You bet. With dozens of wooden tables at the back of the concourse lining the Czescik Marina, The Village is going to break the old hospitality industry axiom that great food and good views don’t mix.

Anything else going on?

Masses. In addition to the art, entertain-

ment, food, tech and finance, expect a curated calendar of events, with diverse pop-up experiences focused on music and the arts.

There’s also a multipurpose rooftop garden and a fitness studio.

Family friendly?

Glad you asked. You, the spouse, the kids, the girlfriend, the boyfriend, the au pair, the grandparents, the dog, even the family bunny (The Village loves pets): Everyone is going to feel ever so welcomed here.

And accessibility?

The Village is just a mile away from the Stamford Metro-North and Amtrak railroad station, which means, at least in theory, it’s walkable for commuters who can’t face the all-day backups on adjacent I-95.

Last word?

Czescik Marina. (right) The Village.

“We like to joke that The Village is our version of Disneyland,” Brent Montgomery says.

“It’s where you get to meet all the characters.”

For more, visit thevillagestamford.com.

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Th e 411 o n Westchester

BY JENA A. BUTTERFIELD

W

hether Jessie Spellmann-Mignone is reclining in one of the premium seats at Bedford Playhouse with a tub of popcorn, visibly ecstatic to be back in a movie theater, or twirling in a dress at Jolie Jordan Boutique in Mount Kisco and igniting a frock frenzy, people are following her every move.

Spellmann-Mignone’s nascent but rapidly growing Instagram feed, @whats_in_westchester_ny, is lighting up cell phone screens with a traveler’s sense of discovery, thanks to her visually distinct photography and a genuine enthusiasm for Westchester County’s local businesses.

You could say Westchester’s businesses are her businesses. “If someone asks me to post about them, I make sure it’s a good fit and then we write up an agreement,” Spellmann-Mignone says. She also gives private and group Instagram lessons and does some

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photographic content for local businesses and influencers.

Spellmann-Mignone, a born-and-raised New York City girl, (who got her driver’s license for “purely ceremonious reasons”), left her stomping ground on the Upper West Side in 2010 to move to Westchester. She expected a bigger culture shock.

“I fell in love with Mount Kisco,” she says, noting the variety of restaurants and the diversity of mom and pop shops. “You get a taste of city as well as small-town life, plus, apple picking and strawberries and greenery.” She realized she was minutes away from all of it and was ready to settle in.

But, first, like most New Yorkers, she’d need to find her bagel.

“I didn’t know where my bagel store was, where my pizza store was,” she says. “I needed to find my Thai, my hair salon.”

So, Spellmann-Mignone embarked on a three-year journey of discovery and came out the other end brimming with information worth sharing.

In 2013, she started Mount Kisco Moms, a popular town fan Facebook group.

“I thought, ‘what a way to unite people and

also support local businesses.’” When a member of the group wrote a post lamenting how many stores in Mount Kisco had closed, she was galvanized.

“I didn’t see it through those glasses,” she says emphatically. “I saw how many great places were opening and I wanted to help show that.” She had already made her Facebook page a hub of uplifting messaging for local establishments.

The early days of the pandemic inspired her to think big and pivot. “I said to myself, ‘It’s time to be a little less speakeasy about your business.’” So, this past November, Mount Kisco Moms hit Instagram.

It was a natural fit. “I’d go out, get content and show you around Mount Kisco,” she says.

Often, Spellmann-Mignone’s carousel posts start with a photo of her hand on the doorknob as she enters a space. (Check out her post on New England Antique Lumber.)

Then maybe there’s a video clip of her walking the interior, capturing the energy, the layout, the size. Maybe there’s a product shot or she flips the camera to show herself shopping. It’s a formula that’s vicariously addictive.

When someone suggested to Spellmann-Mignone she could have more eyes on Mount Kisco if she changed the name, it was a concept that had already been brewing in her mind. But she didn’t want her beloved Mount Kisco businesses to worry.

“I love my community,” she says. “My heart is always in Mount Kisco. But now I can access people in Dobbs Ferry and Tarrytown.”

Her Mount Kisco Moms Instagram account relaunched in May 2021 and now has the new moniker — @whats_in_westchester_ny. (The Facebook page remains unchanged though she’s created a second page for What’s in Westchester.)

The new name aligns Spellmann-Mignone’s feed with the general countywide mindset with which most Westchesterites operate. The many vibrant epicenters of culture, food, business and entertainment belong to all the towns’ residents.

“My account is brand new. And from the outset I trend 70 to 120 followers every single week,” says Spellmann-Mignone.

Unexpectedly, the pandemic added a new layer of relevance. As people emerge from the constraints of Covid-19, Spellmann-Mignone is uniquely positioned to help her followers step back out into the world.

“I can show people how to go live in a comfortable way. I’m here with you,” she says.

Jessie Spellmann-Mignone (center), seen here with a few of her friends, gets the digital word out about what’s new and hot in Westchester County.

Courtesy Jessie Spellmann-Mignone.

“And I want to feel like I’m back, like we are back.”

In one post, Spellmann-Mignone chronicled her first time back in a gym at Mount Kisco’s F45. Describing her thought process, she says, “I’m afraid of going but, OK, I’m going to walk into the gym. This is a visual of what it looks like. Here’s the spacing, the mix of people in masks and not. It was just me saying, ‘OK, I want to try it and I’m going to bring everyone with me. I can’t do pushups anymore either.”

Other posts are enticing. She gives restaurant 3 Westerly in Ossining the caption, “Froze To-Go and a Sunset Show,” and shows pink frozé (frozen Rosé) coiling deliciously into a giant glass then the sherbet-streaked sky. Her angle is, you may know the restaurant but did you also know it has outstanding outdoor space and drinks to go? Spellmann-Mignone’s post captures that magic.

At 914 Exotics in White Plains, Spellmann-Mignone can’t help but grab several unusual finds off the shelf. “I love that place,” she says. “It’s great for gifts. There are all these (candy) flavors they don’t have in the U.S.” Back in Mount Kisco, Spellmann-Mignone mentions Shoes and More, “I’m wearing a dress from them right now” and The Hamlet, a British shop; “Oh man, have you been there yet? They have a vault with British records.”

She loves Porch, “a beautiful, beautiful home goods store.”

But what about that bagel? It’s Goldberg’s Famous Bagels in Katonah. Though for special orders, she shouts out Britt & Co., which operates out of both private-and homebased commercial kitchens in and around Westchester.

Spellmann-Mignone often ditches her microphone for her iPhone so she can bring her followers with her wherever she goes. “I will go into venues and record live. I’ll say, ‘Yes, I am here at Coffee Labs (in Tarrytown), and you can hear the coffee being made.”

She captured the busy vibe at Fortina in Armonk (her go-to restaurant) with the same tactic. “I want you to hear the fork on the plate. Maybe it gives you a little jolt of happiness.”

Since April 5, fans can also listen to Spellmann-Mignone dig deeper on her What’s In Westchester podcast on both Audible and Spotify. “There is no Westchester-based podcast exclusively about Westchester,” she says.

“I am so excited to be the first one here.”

For more, visit Instagram @whats_in_ westchester_ny.

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f l i o s g g y oo d h W for business n p o r n o fi t s) d n a (

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

G

olf, it has been said, is a good walk spoiled. But for businesses and their nonprofit partners, it’s an opportunity to do well by doing good.

The charity golf tournament season, a staple of Westchester and Fairfield counties’ summers, hit the pause button during the pandemic. But with restrictions eased, golf outings — which typically include lunch and dinner with auctions and entertainment — are in full swing (pun intended).

“A lot of deals are made at the country club,” says Scott R. Gance of networking on the links. “But at a golf tournament you meet new people.” And new people, the implication is, mean new opportunities.

Gance has seen this from both the business and nonprofit sides. He’s president of The Partners Commercial Real Estate Ser-

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vices in Wilton, encompassing brokerage, consultancy and development, with multifamily offerings a specialty. These include The Station Lofts at Port Chester, an upcoming community of 180 luxury apartments at New Broad and William streets. But then he puts on his golf cap as chairman of the Honorine Golf Classic, whose eighth annual event takes place Aug. 2 at The Country Club of Darien. Over the years, the classic has raised more than $130,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, which treats pediatric cancer. For Gance, this is more than an opportunity to get The Partners’ brand out there. It’s a way to honor his late parents, Anthony and Marcelle Gance, St. Jude supporters who died of cancer. (The tournament was named Honorine after Marcelle’s middle name.)

This year, the classic has added another, local beneficiary — The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded in 1988 in Ashford, Connecticut, by the late actor and Westport resident Paul Newman to give seriously ill children and their families a chance “to raise a little hell” in summer and year-round.

“I can't think of two better organizations to support given the work they do for kids struggling with life-threatening illnesses,” says Mark. J. Curtis, CEO of Splash Car Washes, a fixture in Fairfield and Westchester counties. “Moreover, Splash can't help but lend a hand to a guy like Scott Gance, whose passion for raising money for these groups is contagious. We welcome him and his fellow volunteers back to our locations to help promote participation in the outing."

Honorine is just one of the many tournaments that have been teeing up this summer. The Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon

Rejoicing at a recent edition of the Honorine Golf Classic, which raises money for Ashford, Connecticut’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp as well as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Courtesy Honorine Golf Classic.

held its annual Corporate Golf Outing June 21 at Mount Kisco Country Club. Meanwhile, Phelps Hospital Northwell Health held its 17th annual Phelps Golf Classic June 7 at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, raising more than $175,000 for the acute care community hospital in its most successful tournament to date. (Overally the event has raised $2 million.)

On Sept. 14, Greenwich-based Breast Cancer Alliance tees off for its ninth annual golf outing, at The Golf Club at Purchase. The alliance has awarded more than $30 million in grants to foster research, breast surgery fellowships, regional education and screenings for the uninsured and underserved, with its golf tournaments raising an average of $150,000 ($100,000 net) per year for the organization, says BCA Executive Director Yonni Wattenmaker. (WAG and its sister publications, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals, are media sponsors of the event.)

Sponsorships are one way in which such tournaments raise money for causes that can spotlight businesses as well. A charity may pay $1,000, Gance says by way of example, for golf umbrellas that a company will sponsor with a $3,000 contribution to have its name and/or logo on the umbrellas.

And that’s just for starters as sponsorship packages for tournaments, which can begin at $200 for a silent auction contribution and exceed $50,000 for the entire event, include opportunities for publicity across the tournaments’ many print and digital platforms.

Honorine’s sponsors include the White Plains-based accounting firm Citrin Cooperman & Company LLP and Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corp. in Danbury. Breast Cancer Alliance’s tournament sponsors include Café Agave, maker of alcohol-spiked coffee, and SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers in Norwalk. Breast Cancer Alliance was still formulating its list at press time, but past sponsors have included JPMorgan Chase, Mercedes, Tesla and UBS, Wattenmaker says.

Some sponsors or businesses donate inkind services in exchange for having their names emblazoned on websites, programs, country club banners and golf paraphernalia. Danbury’s River Design — which bills itself as “the Madison Avenue for Main Street” — does pro bono marketing work for Hono-

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Teeing off for Greenwich-based Breast Cancer Alliance. Photographs by Elaine Ubiña. Courtesy Breast Cancer Alliance.

A lot of deals are made at the country club,” says Scott R. Gance of networking on the links. “But at a golf tournament you meet new people.” And new people, the implication is, mean new opportunities.

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rine, says Ken Brooks, the company’s principal and creative director. It was Brooks who suggested Honorine broaden its appeal by adding a local charity like The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp this year. (The camp could use the support as a fire destroyed a space housing several program areas in February. But the camp is operating at capacity this summer and will begin rebuilding in September, says Andrea Keefe, Hole in the Wall’s director of corporate and community partnerships.)

This year Honorine has come up with an unusual marketing ploy to increase its fundraising — something Gance says he saw out west — a Million Dollar Helicopter Ball Drop. Just before the dinner, the helicopter will drop all the numbered balls purchased in advance by individuals. The 20 closest to the flag will receive gold envelopes with prizes worth up to $3,500. Holders of the four closest, however, will also have an opportunity to shoot it out on the 18th hole.

Whoever gets a hole in one from 150 yards out from the flag wins $1 million. (If more than one person makes the shot, the prize is split.) Gance says the purchase of the balls will cover the cost of the helicopter and the $1 million insurance, though he is looking for an underwriter.

For participating businesses, such marketing strategies are, well, par for the course.

“A lot of people get involved with charities, because of personal tragedies. I haven’t faced that, but I do have a 6-year-old,” Brooks says by way of explaining his involvement with children’s charities.

“It’s great camaraderie,” says Mary Quick, a past BCA board member who’s co-chairing BCA’s tournament with husband James Daras and Suzanne and Tim Sennatt. “And they’re playing for a great cause.”

The eighth annual Honorine Golf Classic takes place Aug. 2 at The Country Club of Darien, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $475 for individuals and $1,700 for a foursome and include lunch, dinner and entertainment. Tickets for the dinner alone are $125. WAG readers can mention code WAG21 for a discount on golf tickets.

For more, visit honorinegolfclassic.com or call 203-762-9990.

Breast Cancer Alliance’s ninth annual Golf Outing begins at 11 a.m. Sept. 14 at The Golf Club of Purchase. Tickets are $4,000 for a foursome and include lunch, dinner and entertainment. Tickets for the dinner alone are $250. (If someone buys a ticket and a company matches that amount, the whole gift from the company is tax-deductible.)

For more, visit breastcanceralliance.org.

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AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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A general view of the men's singles final between Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal at the 2019 US Open. The US Open returns this month to in-person action, although still with some Covid restrictions and challenges. Adding to the drama – men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has a chance to become only the third man to win the Grand Slam in a calendar year. Photograph by Mike Lawrence/USTA.

A more ope n US Ope n

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

"

T

he US Open is our annual bake sale,” says Daniel Zausner, COO of the United States Tennis Association, headquartered in White Plains.

The USTA — which runs the tournament, the last of the four Slams played each year, and dedicates itself to growing the sport — derives its revenues from ticket sales as well as memberships. Tickets, which went on sale mid-July, are trending, Zausner says.

But that doesn’t mean the USTA isn’t facing challenges after a year in which the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, served as a makeshift hospital with 475 beds and 22 ICU beds and a staging area preparing up to 150,000 meals a day for patients, health care workers and underprivileged schoolchildren, then pivoted to host a restricted Open amid the pandemic. While last August’s Open was able to retain its broadcast revenues, Zausner says, as well as a percentage of its sponsorship revenues since sponsors’ signage could be seen on TV, the Open also lost sponsorship revenues and, of course, ticket revenues as it was not open to the public.

This year, the public will be back for the tournament (Aug. 30 through Sept. 12), but only in part.

“Fifteen percent of ticketholders are international travelers and we don’t expect to see those tourists return to New York City until 2024.”

So the Open hopes to make up domestically what it will lose internationally, all while paying down debt service obligations incurred from $650 million worth of capital improvements over two years (2016 to ’18) that included a roof over the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main venue; the new Louis Armstrong Stadium, which also has a retractable roof; the Grandstand Stadium; and the new international

broadcast center, televising the Open to some 200 countries.

Meanwhile, fans and players alike should see a more relaxed Open this year. The USTA follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for masks, which at press time were that you don’t generally need them outdoors; indoors, yes, for those age 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated. Fortunately, a lot of the Open is outdoors, Zausner says. Instead of having the players confined to two airport hotels in Queens, as it did last year, he says Open officials will be “trying to keep the players slightly contained in Manhattan” — which may prove challenging as the city’s enticements struggle to come back to life. There will be testing protocols for unvaccinated players.

This more open Open returns at a time when the Professional Tennis Players Association (P.T.P.A.), announced at last year’s Open, attempts to get off the ground. The brainchild of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic — who will try to make history at the Open as only the third man to win the Grand Slam in a calendar year — and Canadian star Vasek Pospisil, the P.T.P.A. is designed to be a union that would advocate for a greater share of the pie for lower-ranked players on the men’s and women’s tours. In “Power Game,” a story for the July 4 edition of The New York Times Magazine, Michael Steinberger wrote, “At the US Open, for instance, prize money amounts to around 14 percent of gross revenues; by contrast, around half of the National Basketball Association’s total revenues goes to the players; and the same is roughly true in the National Football League, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.”

But, Zausner says, the US Open is not the NBA. It may sit on New York City land that was once the site of the 1939 and ’64 World’s Fairs (and the setting for the ash-heap denouement of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby”), he says, but the USTA has to pay its own way in developing its programming and infrastructure. Having said that, Zausner adds that the US Open was the first of the Slams to offer equal prize money to men and women, while the qualifying tournament that is free to fans and will be held Aug. 24 through 27 is the seventh richest in the world.

“All the players are treated equally,” he says in what is, to go back to his opening metaphor, a most glamorous bake sale, one poised to attract more customers once again. “Certainly,” he adds, “the signs are encouraging.”

For more, visit. usopen.org and usta.com.

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Spreadin g th e g os pe l (musi c)

BY LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

P

oughkeepsie native and resident Ray Watkins was born into gospel music, which has always been a huge part of his life. By the time he was 10, Watkins was taking piano lessons, singing in his church choir and aspiring to be like his idol, Ray Charles.

“My whole family, including my three siblings and my parents, were involved in music in some way or the other,” says Watkins. “My dad was in a gospel band called the Hudson Jubileers, which sang on a local radio station, WKIP, in the 1940s.”

Now Watkins is making it his mission to share gospel music with as many people as he can in the Hudson Valley. As chair of the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival, he is now in the throws of planning the second annual festival, which will take place on Sept. 18 at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie.

According to Watkins, gospel music by definition is a relatively new art form. “Gospel music had its roots in Negro spirituals. The genre made its popular debut in the 1930s thanks

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to musicians and composers such as Thomas Dorsey, who was considered the father of gospel music,” he says.

The second half of the great migration of African Americans (beginning in 1940) brought many gospel quartets north, and interest in gospel music began to spread to New York City and outward to the Hudson Valley. Local stars included Marva Clark, Gretchen Reed and Toni Graham. In addition, many nationally famous gospel singers, including the legendary Mahalia Jackson, performed at various churches in the area as well as at venues like the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

Watkins recalls that gospel music bands were also featured on the radio by broadcasters such as Willie Hutson, whose “Hutson Gospel Train” aired weekly on WKIP starting in the 1960s.

While the public’s interest in gospel music waned in the 1970s, Watkins says his interest in the subject never subsided. He resumed playing piano and singing in his church choir as soon as he returned from a stint in the U.S. Navy in 1974.

(While in the Navy, he played popular music for the ship’s band).

“After I returned, I grew to understand my father’s gospel music better,” Watkins says. “I wanted to find out more about the Hudson Jubileers and locate their recordings, but I found out there wasn’t anything out there.” As his research expanded, he was introduced to people who helped him in his efforts to dig deeper into the roots of local gospel music.

One of the organizations he got in touch with in the early 1990s was Arts Mid-Hudson, a Poughkeepsie nonprofit that helps drive support for the mid-Hudson Valley’s diverse, thriving arts community. Watkins joined the nonprofit’s board of directors and helped the nonprofit develop programs promoting gospel music through its Folk Arts initiative.

For 13 consecutive years, starting in 1994, Arts Mid-Hudson organized annual Christmas concerts at Poughkeepsie’s First Presbyterian Church, where African-American gospel music was performed as part of the series “Giving it Back: Folk Arts of the Mid-Hudson Valley.” According to Watkins, “The church was located in a central part of town and could hold over1,000 people. There were times when it was filled close to capacity.

“There were people who loved gospel music but weren’t going into places to hear it. The 'Giving it Back: Folk Arts of the Mid-Hudson Valley' series was a first step in bringing it back to the Hudson Valley,” he adds. “My focus was to showcase gospel music in public places as opposed to just behind the four walls of a church on Sundays.”

In 2019, Watkins was contacted by Dutchess Tourism and asked if he would be interested in organizing a gospel festival in the area. The

inaugural Hudson Valley Gospel Festival, presented in partnership with Dutchess Tourism, Arts Mid-Hudson and local churches, held its inaugural event Feb. 21 to 23, 2020 at the Majed K. Nesheiwat Convention Center and Changepoint Theatre in Poughkeepsie. Tickets were $50 per day and $130 for the whole weekend.

Highlights included performances by Just Voices, the West Point Gospel Choir, the Livingston College Gospel Choir, and appearances by gospel singers Everett Drake and Edwrin Sutton.

Also performing was the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival Choir, which Watkins had started specifically for the festival.

In addition to the performances, the festival featured events on the history of gospel music and workshops for youth ages 6 to 18. The event was attended by more than 100 people each day.

This year the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival had to be postponed to the fall due to Covid.

The trimmed-back festival will take place on Sept. 18, from 1 to 5 pm, and will be held outside at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie. According to Watkins, the festival organizers are expecting around 500 people.

To promote the event, Watkins has been working with Arts Mid-Hudson on monthly Zoom programs that are open to the public.

Presentations on the history of gospel music in the Hudson Valley featured such topics as youth in gospel music and the making of the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival Choir. Arts Mid-Hudson is also promoting the gospel festival on all its social media channels and in local press and electronic media.

This year’s festival will feature the Hudson Valley Gospel Festival Choir, along with the West Point Gospel Choir, the Bethel Church of God in Christ Praise Team/Poughkeepsie and Bethel Missionary Baptist Choir. Watkins has also invited other choirs from Westchester, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan and Orange counties.

In addition, there will be a performance by the Pioneers of Jazz, a 20-piece ensemble. Watkins says, “It’s a natural choice, since gospel and jazz go hand-in-hand.”

The Hudson Valley Gospel Festival is held in partnership with Arts Mid-Hudson and supported by a community committee that Watkins chairs. While there is technically no budget for this year’s event, the finances to cover professional sound technicians and other fees will be raised by revenue earned at the gate. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors and free for children under age 5. For more, visit artsmidhudson.org.

Laura Joseph Mogil is a freelance writer living in Briarcliff Manor. Reach her at lauramogil@gmail.com.

The Hudson Jubileers circa 1940.

Ray Watkins’ father, Alexander Watkins, is second from left, standing.

Photograph by the former State(s) Studio in Poughkeepsie.

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Quick Tips to Stay Healthy in the 2021 Baseball Season Dr. Brandon Erickson is a Sports Medicine Surgeon at Rothman Orthopaedics and serves as an assistant team physician for the Philadelphia Phillies. He has a special interest in shoulder, elbow and knee injuries to athletes and non-athletes alike and sees patients in Manhattan and Westchester County, NY.

The 2021 baseball season is fast approaching and many players are anxious to ramp back up as quickly as possible. However, most athletes saw a disruption to their normal routine in 2020 because of the pandemic.

As such, most baseball players, specifically pitchers, did not go through their normal in season or off-season routines. This could make these athletes susceptible to injury in 2021. This post will give a few quick tips to help minimize the risk of injury in 2021.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY. Your workload is often defined by a combination of innings pitched, pitches thrown, batters faced, days of rest in between outings, etc. While workload can vary from year to year, most athletes stay relatively consistent with some increase or decrease in workload each year. As 2020 caused most players to have a decreased workload, athletes must be cognizant of this when entering 2021. All of your workload metrics decreased in 2020.

While it would be nice to simply revert back to your 2019 workload, this may not be possible as your body may not be able to tolerate that workload yet. It is important to listen to your body as your workload begins to increase, and understand the difference between mild soreness after a game or pain.

Soreness is to be expected and is no cause for concern. Pain that prevents you from doing your normal activities, that wakes you up at night, or that lingers more than a couple of days can be cause for concern.

Oftentimes, you know your body better than anyone, and it will tell you if things are not going well. Just remember to pay attention.

STRETCH One of the easiest ways to decrease risk of shoulder and elbow injury is to properly stretch. This specifically applies to the throwing shoulder, trunk of the body, and hips. For the shoulder, external and internal rotation are extremely important, especially in pitchers. Similarly, internal rotation is paramount for the hips, especially

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in the landing leg for pitchers as it is necessary to rotate over this leg to generate a forceful pitch. Players who lose motion in any of these areas place themselves at risk of shoulder and elbow injury. Therefore, a daily stretching routine should be instituted for baseball players in an effort to decrease their risk of injury.

START A STRENGTHENING PROGRAM. While stretching is very important, it’s also important to strengthen the muscles of your shoulder, shoulder blade, and your core. The shoulder blade functions as the foundation of the shoulder in a throwing athlete. When the shoulder blade is in a good position because the muscles originating from the shoulder blade are strong and firing, it can decrease the risk of shoulder injuries in throwing athletes.

Similarly, a strong core can help take stress off of the upper body during the throwing cycle and therefore can help decrease injury risk. A band routine for scapular stabilization and a core workout several times per week is a helpful way to keep the athlete healthy.

GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO ADAPT TO YOUR THROWING PROGRAM. One of the most common ways pitchers get injuries is because they try to rush back to pitching before their arm is ready. It takes several months for a pitcher’s arm to be ready to throw competitively. This is one of the reasons spring training in professional baseball is so long, and is why pitchers and catchers report first.

It’s important to take the necessary amount of time to complete a throwing progression before trying to throw in a game. Whether this takes 6 weeks or 10 weeks, the important thing is that the shoulder and elbow are ready to see the stress placed on them during a game. Make sure to complete each stage of the throwing progression without skipping steps, or rushing through different checkpoints.

For more information or to make an appointment, please visit RothmanNY.com or call 888-636-7840.

At Rothman Orthopaedics, we are exceptionally specialized. We not only specialize in orthopaedics, each of our physicians only focuses on one area of the body. Which means you can have the confidence that you can get past pain and be what you were.

RothmanNY.com | 866.478.0484 AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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It may have been named "Stormfield,” but the house that was built in Redding for Samuel Clemens – better known to readers as Mark Twain – was anything but.

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“How beautiful it all is,” Twain said of his Tuscan-style villa, where he lived from 1908 until his death two years later. “I did not think it could be as beautiful as this.”

Twain named it Stormfield after his short story "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven."

Perhaps it was an omen. In 1923, a fire destroyed the house. Two years later, though, it was rebuilt on the same foundation, retaining the original terraces, stone walls, stone pillars and formal gardens.

The house is sited on 28.53 private acres on Mark Twain Lane and adjoins 161 acres of the Redding Land Trust. It enables you to feel like you've stepped back in time as exquisitely appointed period details artfully blend with today's modern amenities. The grand formal rooms include an elegant dining room over-

looking a stone terrace and rolling lawn and a formal living room with a striking hand-painted coffered ceiling and adjoining library. The 6,300-square-foot main residence also contains four to five bedrooms, five and 1/2 bathrooms and three fireplaces.

But that’s just the beginning. This country compound features a detached pool/carriage house, offering a heated gunite pool, three garage bays and a second-floor guest/caretaker cottage with two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a living room and a kitchen.

This is one of Redding's signature properties — ­­­ and a rare opportunity to own a piece of American history.

For more, call Laura Freed Ancona at 203-733-7053 or 203-438-9531, ext. 6422.

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Know your design history

BY LAURA JOSEPH MOGIL

Touring some of the elegant houses in Charleston, South Carolina, a place well-known for its distinctive style, helped Wares columnist Cami Weinstein solve a design problem closer to home.

DESIGNING SPACES REQUIRES BOTH KNOWLEDGE AND CREATIVITY. When you are thinking

about designing your space, it’s important to think about the history of its style as well as the direction you want to take. If you move into a Tudor, Mediterranean or contemporary home, then research earlier homes in that style. Consider what you liked about it and how to update it for today’s living. Be especially aware of this is in the kitchen and bathroom. Oftentimes you can “push the envelope” and create modern spaces within a traditional framework.

When designing spaces, I like the tension of opposites but it must be carefully calibrated.

Masculine and feminine, casual and elegant, light and dark, old and new. Adding the opposite sensibility in your space creates a sense of timelessness. Color is often a unifying theme in my business. I work with clients to figure out what color palette appeals to them and which style direction they want to go in. I work in a variety of styles and combinations, leaving design open to many directions.

We create many different apartments and homes for clients and each is unique so we don’t use a design formula. For example, when designing a beach home we don’t drag in every shell and anchor motif we find. Vacation homes are becoming homes to be enjoyed and used throughout the year and our designs

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for them reflect that. Apartments often have space issues and are another area where every inch is considered and utilized in our designs.

We’ll choose furniture that has storage capabilities. Cabinetry and closets are well worth learning about and investing in, because they can keep all of your items organized and within easy reach. A well-designed kitchen should not only be beautiful but should be functional, whether you choose a traditional or modern approach.

Looking at both contemporary interior designers and famous designers of the past can inspire you in your own home. Visiting show houses and gardens and taking house tours can trigger your imagination and give you ideas on how to decorate your own home. These visits and learning experiences can also help you solve a design problem area in your own home.

I remember going on a house tour in Charleston, South Carolina, and the layouts of several of the homes we toured immediately triggered the knowledge of how to solve a layout issue I was having on a project. That leap could not have happened so quickly if I had not reached out to learn about home design in another area of the country.

Seeing and learning about all the current design trends is inspiring but refrain from putting all of these trends in your home at once,

because nothing can date your home quicker than overuse of trends. The following come to mind — sliding barn doors, ship lap siding, Edison bulbs and vessel sinks — to name a few trends that have been overdone lately. Each of these design trends can still look interesting and fresh if used sparingly and if the design complements the style of your home.

A current new trend that is actually quite old is the use of wallpaper in interiors. Wallpaper is having a resurgence. There are so many different types to choose from -- grass cloth, oversized florals and murals. These new wallpapers are getting a boost from digital technology, which is making it more cost-effective to use them in home design.

In whatever style you choose to design your home, make it uniquely yours. Reach back into history and look ahead to create your home and design it for current living. Look at design rules of the past and know where to break them and where to adhere to them. Enjoy the process and keep your home current by periodically tweaking it and moving around some furniture and artwork pieces and bringing in some fresh flowers and plants. Add texture.

And don’t be afraid to live with colors you love.

For more, call 914-447-6904 or email Cami@camidesigns.com.

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AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Becoming your own ‘Antiques Roadshow’

BY KATIE BANSER-WHITTLE

STICKING CLOSE TO HOME FOR MONTHS HAS MADE MANY OF US AWARE THAT WE, OR OUR LOVED ONES, ARE LIVING WITH TOO MANY POSSESSIONS THAT ARE NO LONGER NEEDED OR WANTED. IT’S TIME TO MAKE DECISIONS.

But how and where to start?

By educating yourself about your belongings, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about what to keep, what to toss and how to dispose of the rest. In learning about the value of these things, you may uncover treasures that will help to finance some truly golden later years or come in handy for more immediate needs and wants — a child’s or grandchild’s schooling, a fabulous trip.

Don’t look at the process as a painful ordeal that’s bound to leave you with an aching back, confused mind and anxious heart. Instead, think of it as a treasure hunt that will result in more space, a bigger bank balance and valuable new knowledge about your personal property.

Jump right in. Parting with stuff is inevitable, whether it’s by way of downsizing or demise.

The more time you allow before the moving van arrives, the less stress you will feel and the better the decisions you will make.

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Clarify your primary goal. Are you moving to a smaller space? Making room for other acquisitions? Seeking to simplify your life? Deciding on inheritances or bequests? Disposing of a relative’s lifetime accumulations? The answer will be a factor in how much time you can devote to the job.

You don’t have to tackle everything at once, and you don’t have to do it alone. Indeed, after you’ve made the basic decisions about matters where you alone are the expert, it’s time to call in other experts to make finishing the job easier, faster and more profitable.

One approach is to start with a focus on a single category — art works, jewelry, ceramics, books, furniture. If possible, assemble all the examples of the chosen group in one place.

Look them over carefully and photograph each item. Make notes of what you know about major items. Information might include sales receipts, handwritten notes or labels, anecdotes you remember or have heard associated with family pieces.

You will probably find articles that you know or suspect to be of substantial monetary value, as well as “mystery” pieces that you want to know more about. Before you try

Rare Annie E. Aldrich and Sarah Tutt Marblehead Pottery Vase, Marblehead, Massachusetts, circa 1909.

Sold for $303,000 at Skinner Inc.

selling online or at a yard sale, or start filling a dumpster, get expert advice from a qualified tangible property appraiser.

Karen Keane, CEO of Boston-based Skinner Inc. auction house, recommends engaging the services of a generalist appraiser who follows USPAP guidelines (Uniform Standard of Practices of Appraisal Professionals). A person with this qualification can evaluate and photograph allof a home’s contents in one visit. The resulting written report is your diploma in educating yourself about your possessions and a road map to successful downsizing.

If you’re not sure of the potential value of what you own, many auction houses offer nocost expert evaluations for two or three items that you think may be of special interest. Skinner offers these opportunities on a regular basis at several locations, in person or through submitting photographs. More complete information, including a useful tutorial on the different types of valuations and appraisals, is available at skinnerinc.com.

For more, contact Katie at kwhittle@skinnerinc.com or 212 787-1114.

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Former Greenwich resident and “Blackish” star Tracee Ellis Ross in a magazine layout for the new “Give Me the T,” a moody blackand-white campaign for Tiffany & Co.’s new T1 collection, shot in New York City by Mario Sorrenti.

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Refreshin g t o ‘th e T d n a r b a

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

F

ew companies are better at periodically reinvigorating themselves than Tiffany & Co. The luxe sterling silver and jewelry retailer — whose more than 300 stores worldwide include the 57th Street flagship and boutiques at The Westchester in White Plains and in Greenwich and Westport — has always had classic yet cutting-edge goddesses, and to a lesser extent, gods, to foster its various campaigns, everyone from Lady Gaga to Lupita Nyong’o.

Recently, the brand announced actresses Tracee Ellis Ross (“Blackish”), wagmag.com/ down-to-earth/ who grew up in Greenwich, and Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”) as its newest global house ambassadors, along

with Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu. The three made their debut in “Give Me the T,” the moody, black-and-white Tiffany T1 campaign shot by Mario Sorrenti in New York City that features the collection’s elongated, circular T form, diamonds of all cuts and, of course, quality craftsmanship.

“While the story behind Tiffany T1 remains centered on inner strength and individuality, the breadth of the collection has evolved over the past year to include new bracelet, earrings and pendant styles, as well as new 18k white gold iterations,” the company said in a statement. “In the ‘Give Me the T’ campaign, Taylor-Joy, Gu and Ross layer the new designs with other striking T1 pieces — such as the T1 choker with nearly 250 round brilliant and baguette diamonds totaling over 13 carats — showcasing how the collection creates opportunities for self-expression.”

“Growing up, I would often wander through the flagship store on Fifth Avenue, imagining myself as a grown woman wearing the bold elegance of Tiffany’s signature diamonds,” Ross recalled in a statement. “All these years later, to be the face of this iconic brand and to represent the T1 collection is a dream come true. Shooting the campaign was a welcome moment of inspiration and glamour after the challenging year that we’ve all experienced.”

But then, Tiffany — a 184-year-old company founded by the late Connecticut and Irvington resident Charles Lewis Tiffany — has always been able to read the room. Coming on the heels of #MeToo, Black Lives Matter and increasing attacks on Asian-Americans, Tiffany has chosen to celebrate womanhood and in particular women of color. (Though Gu was born in the United States, she competes for China, one of Tiffany’s strongest markets.)

The new campaign comes six months after LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired Tiffany for $15.8 billion in what has been billed

as luxury’s biggest deal. Initiated in November 2019, it was plagued by false starts, as LVMH canceled it almost a year later. Tiffany sued LVMH and the French luxury conglomerate in turn countersued, accusing Tiffany of spending millions on shareholder dividends amid pandemic losses. (Some observers considered this a bargaining ploy to lower the acquisition and stock prices from $16.2 billion and $135 per share to $15.8 billion and $131.5 a share, which is where the stock sat at press time.)

Long before the pandemic, however, Tiffany, always a bellwether for luxury brands, faced challenges. In 2016, The Wall Street Journal worried that the election of now former President Donald J. Trump would adversely affect the company’s 57th Street flagship, which accounts for 10% of Tiffany’s business and is near Trump Tower. Perhaps more important for Tiffany was the softening of China’s economy and international tourism’s spending power in 2019.

However, like Holly Golightly, the heroine of Truman Capote’s novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and the 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn, Tiffany knows how to bounce. Following the T1 campaign, Taylor-Joy and Gu will star in the “Knot Your Typical City” campaign — also shot in New York by Sorrenti — for a new jewelry collection that Tiffany is set to release in North America this fall and worldwide in 2022. Wearing designs from the new collection, Taylor-Joy, Gu and Alton Mason — the first Black male model to walk the runway for Chanel — will pass through city streets as traditionally blasé New Yorkers offer their approval.

Next year will also see the completion of renovations to the Tiffany flagship, uniting the company’s past, present and future. With new owners and a new look come new personnel.

Last month, WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, the fashion trade journal) reported that Tiffany had hired away Nathalie Verdeille, creative director for jewelry at Cartier since 2005, to become its vice president, artistic director of jewelry and high jewelry.

Jewelry — and its mystique — remain Tiffany’s essence.

“I love jewelry that has symbolism in it,” Anya Taylor-Joy said. “I love it to mean something to me. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything to anybody else, but I like to look down at my fingers and have a story.”

For Tiffany, the story continues.

For more, visit tiffany.com.

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A fest that’s a real corker

BY JEREMY WAYNE Wine at the Fest.

Photograph courtesy Hudson Valley Wine & Beer Fest.

THE KITCHEN GARDENS, FRUIT ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS OF THE NORTHEAST HAVE NEVER BEEN SHORT OF GOOD WINE AND PRODUCE AND THERE’S NOWHERE BETTER TO FIND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE THAN AT RHINEBECK’S ANNUAL HUDSON VALLEY WINE & FOOD FEST.

Canceled last year owing to Covid-19, the festival, which traditionally takes place at the Dutchess Country Fairgrounds the weekend after Labor Day, has been a fixture on the county calendar for two decades and has become the region’s premier showcase for New York wineries and specialty foods.

Over the years, the organizers have added a New York craft beer pavilion, with numerous distilleries and hard cider producers now taking part. This year, all the major Northeast wineries will be represented, as well as some fledgling start-ups, along with craft breweries, distilleries, gourmet food trucks, artisans, vendors and purveyors, all concentrated on, although not limited to, our region.

Always a big draw, celebrity chefs will also be on hand with cooking demos and food samplings. Wine seminars and live music will add to the party atmosphere and the very full wine and culinary program.

The festival’s promoter is WineRacks. com, specialists in wine storage and cellaring, whose president, Michael Babcock, made the decision with event coordinator, Jennifer Cristaldi, to cancel last year’s event because of the pandemic. It was not one made lightly but rather the result of months of evaluation, consultation and discussion.

As Cristaldi said at the time, “The safety of

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our guests is of top priority and as difficult as it is to have to wait another year, we feel it’s in everyone’s best interest.”

Well, that year has almost come around, and the excitement is building. Already confirmed for this year’s fest are a dozen food trucks and concessions, including Ecuadorian cuisine from the popular La Ruta del Sol; Jamaican street food from Reggae Boy Jamaican Food; perogies, kielbasa and other Polish delicacies from Janek’s European Specialities; and tangy Thai dishes from the highly-regarded Thailicious Catering, which is based in Poughkeepsie. Homemade ice creams and desserts will be offered, among others, by artisanal creamery Nancy’s of Woodstock.

And when it comes to specialty and gourmet foods for purchase, whether it’s fermented vegetables or gourmet pickles that tickle your taste buds, or cupcakes, handmade fudge or all-natural toffee that sweetens your tooth, the fest has it all.

Although the final lineup has yet to be confirmed, what is assured is that more than 50 vendors will be offered everything edible, quaffable and smokable, from handrolled organic cigars to organic dog treats to restaurant-grade charcuterie boards, all vying for your attention — and that’s before we even get to the wine, beer and spirits, which are really the main thrust of the show.

More than 30 New York wineries are already signed up, to be joined by around 15 craft breweries and 10 distilleries — once again, all from our area. A few international wines liquors are also represented, by way of contrast and variety

With seminars and tutored tastings taking place throughout the weekend, with instruction and invaluable advice about choosing, tasting, storing and serving wine, not only does the festival provide fun in the moment, but those eager to learn something about the winemaker’s art or the brewer’s skill can actually take away something longer-lasting.

And while the participating chefs for the cooking demos have also yet to be confirmed, past veterans from “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped” and “Iron Chef” suggest there should be more than a few well-known names and faces in this September’s lineup.

All demos, by the way, are included in the food festival admission price.

The fest is thoughtfully planned, with available tickets for purchase, including one day or weekend tasting tickets, as well as one-day or weekend “designated driver” tickets, which like the tickets for underage visitors obviously do not include alcohol.

And here’s an idea: If you want to visit over both days, why not make the festival the focus of a late summer weekend? The festival’s website helpfully gives some stayover suggestions, including the Mirbeau Inn & Spa, (which WAG reviewed in November 2019), and the charming Baker House B&B, a fiveminute walk from the center of Rhinebeck, which is offering a 10% discount for Wine & Food Festival guests.

All in all, what you might call a wine-wine situation.

This year’s Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival takes place on Sept. 11 and 12. For more, visit hudsonvalleywinefest.com.

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Alighting in a new winery

BY PHIL HALL

FOR THE TRAVELER IN SEARCH OF AQUILA’S NEST VINEYARDS, IT IS EASY TO BYPASS THIS DESTINATION WHILE TRAVELING DOWN POLE BRIDGE ROAD IN SANDY HOOK. A SMALL SIGN POINTS TO AN INCONSPICUOUS DRIVEWAY, WITH NARY A VINE IN SIGHT.

But after you circumnavigate the steep gravel road that curves severely during its ascent, the glory of Aquila’s Nest become apparent. Situated on a hilltop surrounded by extraordinary vistas, the 41-acre property offers a majestic vineyard worthy of Napa Valley and a boldly designed event space that looks like a sublime union of old-school Quonset hut reimagined through a Frank Gehry-worthy spectrum.

Aquila’s Nest is Fairfield County’s newest vineyard, having opened in October during Halloween weekend. And lest we forget, 2020 was hardly a trick-or-treat romp for anyone, especially start-up businesses like Aquila’s Nest.

“When you open during a pandemic, you never know what to expect,” says co-owner Neviana Zhgaba without a trace of irony. “So, you set your bar low.”

But perhaps Zhgaba was being a bit too modest, as the local wine-loving community was rooting for the new vineyard’s success.

“The town has been very supportive,” she continues. “We have a big outdoor space that has attracted bigger groups because of Covid and the need to safely gather.”

Zhgaba runs the vineyard with her husband, Ardian Llomi, who admits the couple were not originally planning careers as oenophiles.

“We were looking for a place to build our house,” he explains, noting that they were shown the property, once a working farm, in 2016 and fell in love with it, even though it far exceeded their initial modest plans. “OK, so how do we support this property?”

The answer, Zhgaba adds, was to turn one of the couple’s leisure activities into a business pursuit.

“We love wine and we've been to almost all of the wineries in Connecticut,” she says. “That's what we loved to do in our free time before we had this venue. And it's rare to have that kind of view and this kind of property in this area.”

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Neviana Zhgaba and Ardian Llomi enjoy the fruits of their labor. Courtesy Simply Pause Photography.

While the couple never worked in the wine trade before — Zhgaba was a senior technical program manager at General Electric in Norwalk while Lloma was a senior mechanical design engineer at Sonitek in Milford — the opportunity was too good to pass up. Furthermore, they theorized the supreme views from their hilltop location would bring visitors from far and wide when New England’s glorious fall foliage came into full hue.

Llomi acknowledges, however, that not everyone is familiar with Connecticut’s wine industry, which is relatively young compared to other states. The modern wine industry in Connecticut only began in 1978 with the passage of the Connecticut Winery Act. “Basically, everyone's kind of new in a way, learning and adopting and trying to find the best advice,” he says, pointing out that New England’s mercurial and often extreme weather proves a challenge to winemakers, who would have less of a meteorological headache in consistently drier climates.

The couple says their first months were a learning curve, with Zhgaba admitting “we didn't know what the demand was” for an endeavor of this nature. As wineries are rare in their section of the state — Aquila’s Nest is only the fourth in Fairfield County — they decided that something extra was needed to call attention to this endeavor.

“I had a call with Lisa Scails, who is the executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut,” Zhgaba recalls. “And I was just describing to her that the winery is going to be mythology themed and we want to tell stories and would like art on all the walls.”

Scails responded by having the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut launch “Accessible

Art with Aquila’s Nest Vineyards,” featuring a pair of exhibitions of regional artists offering sculptural work under the themes “Nesting” and “Migration.” The “Nesting” exhibition opened June 18 and continues through Sept. 9, with “Migration” arriving Sept. 24 before its departure on Nov. 29.

Zhgaba and Llomi have also opened their property to regional performing artists, turning Aquila’s Nest into Fairfield County’s newest and most eclectic entertainment venue.

“We’ve had music practically every day that we're open,” says Zhagaba. “We have many types of events, including crafting, yoga and poetry in the vineyard. We have karaoke every Wednesday and Thursday night, and we are planning a ‘Twilight in the Vineyard’ series, which is kind of an intimate event that’s included chamber music. The next one is a jazz, and then they're going to do Broadway songs.

“Afterwards, we're planning to do another classical music concert with the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, and we planning to do dance performances in the venue.”

But what about the reason for all of this work? Aquila’s Nest currently offers a quintet of wines — Nest Red Blend Wine, Merlot, Dry Rosé Wine, Dry Riesling and Moscato — and provides visitors with a $21 wine tasting flight that includes a selection of four samples of Aquila’s wines paired with cheese, crackers, nuts and chocolate.

But which wine is the recommended favorite? Llomi smiles and plays coy. After all, do you ask a parent to choose a favorite child?

“I'm a guy, so I think it's all fabulous,” he laughs. “It's selling like crazy and we can’t make it fast enough.”

For more, visit aquilasnestvineyards.com.

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a n r t o n th e u a t s e r A f o t h e e d i t s r a t c h ks g i r

BY JEREMY WAYNE

W

hen Matt Kay shuttered his Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry on Jan. 1, 2018, the last thing he planned on doing was going back into the restaurant business. But that’s exactly what happened the following year, when he heard that Hudson Social, the casual restaurant at the Dobbs Ferry Metro-North Railroad station, was for sale.

There was some history. Coffee and a bagel was once pretty much all you could get by way of refreshment at this original, Victorian brick station house, but back in 2009, when Kay’s mother, Catherine, was deputy mayor of Dobbs Ferry, she saw the potential of the building and the village put out bids to open a full-service restaurant on the site.

Furthermore, Kay — a respected chef who has worked at several prestigious restaurants in the Hudson Valley — had always loved the place. So, when he heard that the restaurant, which was already called Hudson Social, was for sale, any resolve about not returning to the business went out the window. With new

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business partner, Dobbs Ferry resident Ron Dirosso — he dove right in.

You can see why he was smitten. Scenically situated between the station tracks and the station park and with a view of the Hudson River, it’s a station house straight out of “Thomas the Tank Engine.”

Inside, the wood and brick interior is brightened by six semicircular windows, looking out over the station tracks and the park, with the river in the distance. Outside, there’s a choice of where to sit — at a regular table for two or four, at a high-top table, at circular picnic-style tables or on a stool at the outside bar. Chairs around a firepit provide additional outdoor space.

So far, so thoroughly inviting then, but what about the food? Matt Kay calls the restaurant an American bistro and I think he — and the food — are spot-on. For starters, a spinach, tomato, roasted mushroom and Swiss cheese quesadilla — a tortilla of incredible lightness — rubs shoulders with tangy flash-fried shrimp and sea-salt pretzel bites. Crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon, toasted almonds and crown maple syrup — familiar to customers of Cedar Street Grill — resurface here at Hudson Social, having lost none of their moreish allure. A white globe of fabulously luscious Burrata comes with miraculously flavorful

Hudson Social, interior.

Courtesy Hudson Social.

heirloom tomatoes, anointed with nothing more than two drops of the best olive oil, a revelation. Kay calls the cooking here simple, saying the ingredients speak for themselves, and he is right, but in this kind of simplicity there is an implied sophistication, too.

Did I mention the kale Caesar (the pun on “Hail, Caesar!” of which I never tire) or the arugula and goat cheese salad? I should have.

They are both excellent.

Main courses run the gamut, from chicken Milanese to surf and turf, to a gorgeous-looking tranche of Atlantic salmon, while sublime desserts — including a rich chocolate mousse cake and locally made Penny Lick ice cream — are so indulgent they can make you forget you are on municipal, railroad-owned property.

You’re reminded of this by the intermittent rush of a passing train, which indeed only adds to the atmosphere of this utterly charming restaurant, an eatery that punches well above its weight.

And a weekend brunch menu sees the regular menu supplemented with brunchy offerings like French or avocado toast, a Black Forest ham and egg cheese brioche and a vegetable frittata.

As for what to drink, cocktails are carefully made (my mojito could have held its own in old Havana) and, along with the light local ales, locally fermented Doc’s Hard cider is a great summer drink. While I’d like perhaps to have seen more domestic wine on the short wine list, I appreciated the modestly priced Proseccos and the great price-to-quality ratio of both the white and red Robert Mondavi Private Selections.

Service comes from a relaxed but welldrilled team, with many of the staff retained from the restaurant’s former ownership — our own server, Juan, offering amusing asides and going about his tasks with efficiency and lashings of cheerfulness.

Morning coffee and pastries make Hudson Social a great spot for breakfast, too, while weekly jazz on a Thursday raises the bar for this terrific local restaurant.

That guy at the high-top table near the bar, hammering away on his MacBook? That, in case you’re wondering, is Matt Kay — a local restaurateur who has every reason to feel pleased with himself.

For more, visit hudsonsocial.com.

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Those other Portuguese wines

BY DOUG PAULDING

PORTUGAL HAS A HISTORY AND WORLD INFLUENCE THAT FAR SURPASSES ITS SIZE. IT WAS ONE OF THE FOUR OR FIVE MAJOR NAVAL POWERS IN THE WORLD DATING WELL BEFORE COLUMBUS. It also has records and

physical, geographical evidence of wine production and shipping dating from 2000 B.C. The fortified wines of Porto and the island of Madeira became known and loved worldwide as wines that were essentially bulletproof as they could survive the high, stifling temperatures of a sailing ship’s hold for months crisscrossing the equator and not be damaged. But until recently, other Portuguese wines in general were consumed by the local population or loaded into tanker trucks and shipped to other countries for bulk wine production blends.

The Esporão Group, based in the Alentejo region in the southeastern part of Portugal, due east of Lisbon, makes wine, beer and olive oil and has been in the process of increasing its own influence in Portugal. In 2008, Esporão bought Quinta dos Murças, a major wine estate on the Douro River with 383 acres, 119 of those being established vineyards with almost 2 miles of riverfront shoreline. The Douro is a magnificent river, originating in Spain and spilling into the Atlantic in the thriving and historical town of Porto. It is here along the river that all Port wines are created. All the grapes for Port wines have been, and continue to be, grown in the Douro region and are shipped to the Port lodges where the wine is made. Most of the grape crushing is still done the traditional way, with barefoot people treading large, open, concrete vats called lagares. The region has been declared a UNESCO site, with stunning grades of 30% to 45% ascending from the north and south sides of the river. I have visited this region a few times and it truly is like no other.

The Esporão Group is a progressive, forward-thinking operation that needed a winemaker to fit its plan. It hired José Luis Moreira da Silva, affectionally known as Zé Luis, as

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The Duoro Valley (seen here) is becoming a wine powerhouse.

winemaker for Quinta dos Murças. He had completed his undergraduate degree in microbiology and his master’s in oenology and has quickly guided the team to fully organic production in the vineyard. This promotes an alive ecosystem with beneficial animals and insects and early monitoring for pests and diseases, which helps create a soil alive with microorganisms for proper and deep root expansion. Deep roots help the vines tolerate most every weather condition.

The group’s next major acquisition, in 2019, was in the northern region of Vinho Verde where Esporão purchased Quinta do Ameal.

I have visited this estate and tasted the wines with former owner Pedro Araújo, and I can tell you from personal experience that this property was lovingly expanded and greatly improved during Pedro’s tenure there. On this 74-acre parcel on the Lima River, Araújo planted and crafted wines made of 100% Loureiro grape, formerly considered an accent grape for Vinho Verde’s quaffable, noncomplex wines for which the region is famous. But as in many places, Araújo reduced yields of each vine, moved to organic and sustainable production and made a wine worthy of contemplation and aging. On the estate are beautifully restored cottages, a 20-acre forest and river access — all of which would make for a brilliant family educational and experiential destination vacation.

I recently got to Zoom-taste the wines with Zé Luis that he has made from Quinta dos

Murças in the Douro Valley and his new releases from Quinta do Ameal in Vinho Verde.

The 2020 Ameal Loureiro ($18) was bright and fresh with a lemon citrus presence and great texture for a lasting mouthfeel. His 2020 Bico Amarelo ($12), a Loureiro and Alvarinho blend, showed bright lemon and fresh pineapple flavors. Zé Luis called this wine “simple in a good way.” Think honest, fresh and unmanipulated.

We then moved to the reds of the Douro. The 2017 Assobio Esporão, ($14) made of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, tasted of dusty and fresh dark fruit with great aromatics featuring spice and cedar notes. Zé Luis called this wine “a true field blend where the different red grapes all grow side by side and are harvested, crushed and fermented together.” And finally we tasted his 2018 Esporão Murças Minas ($24) — dark cherry and blackberry with bursts of red cherry poking through and light but grippy tannins for texture and mouthfeel.

These wines are imported by Now Wine Imports of Livingston, New Jersey, and are readily available in the tristate market. Zé Luis is young, ambitious, forward-thinking, highly educated in his field and eco-friendly. The wines he creates are wonderful, age-worthy and easily affordable. Stock up and enjoy. Every cellar should have some wines of Portugal and the wines of Esporão and Zé Luis will complement and enhance any event.

Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.

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BEET AND YOGURT SALAD WITH CUCUMBERS

WHAT’S COOKING?

FOOD & SPIRITS

INGREDIENTS: ½ cup beet purée 4 cups plain Greek yogurt ¼ cup diced white onions ½ cup thinly sliced cucumbers (half-moons) 5 tablespoons Boondi (mini chickpea fritters) 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon garam masala ¼ teaspoon grated ginger

A dish to ‘beet’ the heat

Rajni Menon’s cooling yogurt salad with beet purée and cucumbers is sure to be another summertime treat.

Photograph by Aditya Menon.

BY RAJNI MENON South India has summer weather most of the year. Hence, one of the side dishes during lunchtime is yogurt. It’s so refreshing and cooling that it is used on a daily basis in Kerala homes. My mom would make fresh yogurt from scratch, which tastes amazing.

Here’s my version of a yogurt dish that can be part of any grilling menu. Adding beets to the yogurt brings a pop of color to it and is delicious.

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DIRECTIONS: 1. In a mixing bowl combine all the spices (except the ginger), then add the yogurt, ginger and onions. Mix well.

2. Add the yogurt mixture to the serving bowl. Spread it around.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of beet purée to the yogurt. Use a spoon to make streaks of beet purée and yogurt to give the dish a beautiful pattern.

4. Place the half-moon cucumbers on top of this mixture.

5. Spread Boondi on top.

Enjoy with grilled chicken.

For more, particularly on Rajni’s new classes in South Indian cooking for beginners, visit creativerajni.com or call 914-255-2574.

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AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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A heavenl y p e x rienc e e l e t o h

BY JEREMY WAYNE

H

"

ello,” says Stirling, the chipper front desk agent at The Abbey Inn & Spa, Peekskill’s new luxury hotel which has already garnered the “3rd Best New Hotel in America” accolade from USA Today’s 10Best awards. “Are you checking-in with us today?”

No, we’re not coming to stay on this occasion but we are coming to have a jolly good snoop around, although I don’t put it in quite those terms. Whatever, Stirling is unfazed.

“Well, please, have a seat, make yourselves comfortable, enjoy. Oh, and can I get you some coffee? Cream and sugar?”

It’s the kind of welcome that makes a difference. As any hotelier across the region, and very likely across the country, will tell you, finding great staff and assembling a cohesive team in the pandemic wind down and reset (if it isn’t too soon to call it that,) is proving extremely challenging. Hospitality personnel — both long-term professionals and recent recruits sensing that their industry was more demanding as well as more vulnerable than

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most, left the industry in droves during the pandemic and have not returned.

The Abbey may be the exception that proves the rule. In a magnificent position high above the Hudson River, just an hour’s drive from New York City and five minutes from the Peekskill train station, the inn — the former convent of the Episcopal Sisters of St. Mary’s, who inhabited the building for nearly 100 years from 1872 — opened auspiciously in January 2020 and never closed during the pandemic. Staff we encountered couldn’t have been more helpful and service standards generally seemed high.

Seamlessly repurposed, the original Abbey was gutted and reinforced from the ground up by the hotel’s developer, the Valhalla-based GDC. Beautiful old stonework was restored and harmoniously integrated with high-end new carpentry and joinery, giving the inn a unique sense of history blending sympathetically with a contemporary vibe. “Having everything custom-made, which it needed to be, was certainly a challenge,” General Manager Gilbert Baeriswil, formerly head honcho of the Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown and now The Abbey Inn’s general manager, shared with me on an elaborate site tour.

If the inn has an abundance of historical features in its public spaces, its guestrooms and suites — 42 in all — are an exercise in quiet and restrained modern luxury. I loved the cream and taupe-themed superior suite, with its Italian tilework, state-of the-art technology, luxury amenities and granite-top bathroom, complete with Gilchrist & Soames products. It looked out over some of the estate’s 52 acres adjacent to Fort Hill Park, with lush woodland concealing a variety of gorgeous trails that guests are invited to explore.

Several rooms have Hudson River views, including one with a balcony, but Baeriswil apologized that none was available to view.

If there’s one thing a hotel general manager needn’t apologize for, it’s having a fully occupied hotel, I was quick to assure him.

A charming series of curated pictures and

Apropos Bar. Photograph by Jeremy Wayne.

View from the hilltop.

Courtesy Kevin Hardman Photography.

prints line the inn’s wall, from the top floor downward, tracing the progress of the Hudson, from its source in Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondacks all the way to Upper New York Bay. These fascinating historical views further animate the already atmospheric Abbey.

Back on the first floor, the reimagined, restored Abbey church is now the inn’s Highlands ballroom. Expansive, arched and colonnaded, with great natural light (in itself a rarity in any ballroom of size) flooding its windows, this is a superb event space but will make an unforgettable wedding venue especially. The smaller, second floor chapel, now the Cornerstone Room, boasts a soaring, vaulted wood ceiling, original stained-glass windows and superb frescoes, painted by The Abbey’s Sister Mary Veronica, who was an outstanding ecclesiastical painter. Here again, everything has been painstakingly restored.

The inn’s satisfyingly symmetrical bar meanwhile, with its handsome paneling, copper tray roof and graceful semicircular counter, was once the Mother Superior’s office, so Baeriswil informed me with a twinkle in his eye. It’s hard to say what the reverend mother would have made of the bar, with its St. Mary’s Spritz or its Reverend Cowl cocktail (made with Redemption bourbon and absinthe), or its weekday Happy Hour. But she surely would have been mollified by how the integrity of the space has been preserved and respected.

In the adjoining convent refectory, now the Apropos restaurant, you might follow stracciatella toast and whipped nduja with crisp local chicken and Westchester radishes, although it’s safe to say that the sisters themselves never ate from such a sophisticated menu. Still, the equable mood and ambient,

subdued lighting could be said to pay respect to The Abbey’s history and the friendly ghosts of yesteryear.

Eating outside is also an option, in the inn’s enchanting central garden, with its herbaceous borders and perennials, where the koi pond and dragon fountain had an immensely cooling effect on the blisteringly hot day of our visit.

Away from the inn, along Main Street just half a mile away and all over Peekskill’s attractive downtown district, the local bar and restaurant scene is booming and property prices and rentals in the area have leapt since the onset of the pandemic. Peekskill also makes a great base for visiting the river towns, local state parks and the great historic mansions of the Hudson Valley.

Back at the property, The Abbey Inn’s spa, situated on the lower level, may have only four treatment rooms, but it manages to punch well above its weight. With its fitness center, whirlpool and well-equipped locker rooms, along with a hair and nail salon, treatments run the gamut from massage to microdermabrasion to waxing. The well-run spa also offers Geneo noninvasive facials, which have been called “the facial of the future,” while in my view, the totally Zen relaxation lounge, where I could happily have dropped down on a chaise lounge and fallen fast asleep, is a marvel of soothing design.

Spoiling and pampering, a bastion of comfort, good food and wine, it’s all a far cry from The Abbey of yore. But when the door was closed on St. Mary’s Convent, at least it can be said that a wonderful window on Hudson Valley hospitality was opened.

For more, visit theabbeyinn.com.

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o n ’ t h n e e v se a a H ‘ A

BY DEBBI K. KICKHAM

HAVE YOU EVER STAYED IN A HOTEL ON ITS CONCIERGE FLOOR? Lucky me — I’ve done it

dozens of times throughout my 30-year travel writing career, and it’s always a treat. Basically, it consists of a hotel-within-the-hotel where you will be pampered with all kinds of exclusive, posh service, including a wealth of food presentations all day long.

That’s why I’m excited to tell you about The Haven on Norwegian Cruise Line. Indeed, I recently interviewed a United States senator who had sailed on The Haven two years ago and he was unabashedly enthusiastic about it — and its incredible service. “It was amazing,” he kept telling me.

No doubt, it’s impressive — and exactly where you can get your daily dose of Vitamin Sea. With Norwegian Cruise Line sailing again, you may want to put this special site on your bucket list.

Norwegian’s first sail date was July 25 with a seven-day Greek Isles cruise aboard Norwegian Jade, departing from Athens and visiting Iraklion (Crete), Rhodes, Mykonos, Olympia (Katakolon), Corfu and Santorini. The cruise line has enhanced its robust Sail Safe Health & Safety Program, which includes mandatory vaccination requirements for all guests and crew on all sailings through Oct. 31 to ensure that you and your loved ones can cruise confidently.

The cruise line will even help you get to the ship with its Free Air for Second Guests and

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transfers from the airport to the pier.

But back to the heavenly Haven. The Haven

by Norwegian is a ship-within-a-ship concept exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line. The keycard-access-only area is available on 11 of its 17 ships. Guests of The Haven enjoy access to the upscale complex, which includes the most luxurious and well-appointed suites on the ship, exclusive amenities, including a dedicated concierge and 24-hour butler; a private courtyard, pool and sundeck to retreat to after a day full of shipboard activities; a private bar and lounge; and a dedicated Haven restaurant available on the Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships.

The Horizon Lounge, the two-story observation space available on Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy, offers Haven guests breathtaking panoramic views that they can enjoy as they sit back and unwind with a complimentary coffee and tea service and select dry snack options. (I’ll take a cappuccino, please.)

The Haven by Norwegian even offers a wide array of suite accommodations. However, each ship differs in the type of accommodations available. A guest favorite for larger groups of families or friends looking for connecting room options is the Three-Bedroom Garden Villa — the largest and most luxurious suite — found on six of the fleet's 17 ships. Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn. offer the largest Garden Villas aboard as they both span approximately

The Haven is an excellent "homewithin-a-hotel" that guarantees a first-class experience on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Lines.

6,694 square feet. The villa has panoramic views of the ocean and sleeps up to eight guests with three separate bedrooms, each with a king- or queen-size bed and luxury bathroom. It features a dedicated living area, dining room and an expansive private garden complete with a hot tub. The Haven Three-Bedroom Garden Villas are also available on Norwegian Gem (approximately 4,252 square feet), Norwegian Pearl (approximately 4,252 square feet), Norwegian Jade (approximately 4,719 square feet), and Norwegian Jewel (approximately 4,891 square feet).

The Haven by Norwegian provides the boutique benefits and service of a luxury small ship experience while also offering the activities, entertainment and dining options that only a large ship can house — such as Broadway- and West End-caliber productions, premium dining choices, expansive aqua parks and sports complexes and dedicated youth programs.

Make sure to bring the kids. The vast array of options appeal to multigenerational families as parents and grandparents can take advantage of the privacy of the complex, while kids can enjoy exhilarating attractions like Norwegian’s Speedways — the cruise industry’s only racetracks at sea — found on Norwegian Joy, Bliss and Encore.

That area is certainly the “vroom” at the top — and designed to get your motor running.

For more, visit ncl.com. And follow Debbi on Instagram @DebbiKickham.

FROM WAG’S EDITOR COMES A TRUE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN COMING OF AGE AND FINDING LOVE AND LOSS IN WARTIME NEW YORK. THEGAMESMENPLAY.COM AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

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Ven i , vid i vin o

BY BARBARA BARTON SLOANE

L

est I give the wrong impression, my visit to Burgundy, encompassed far more than drinking wine. However, when we hear the word Burgundy, our thoughts do meander towards wine, non? Actually, you cannot think of this region without reflecting on its wines, But let’s first plan how to get there, now that travel is once more a precious possibility.

Burgundy lies in the eastern part of France, 200 miles from Paris. You can fly into the Dijon-Bourgogne Airport from most major cities in Europe. The city is also accessible by TGV, the high-speed train from Paris. If you like flying along at breakneck speed, arriving in well under two hours, then this train is for you.

You’ll reach speeds of 200 mph and the journey will be not just quick but comfortable.

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TASTING BURGUNDY

The vineyards of this region cover an area of 27,000 acres and there are more than 4,500 individual wine-growing estates — a formidable presence throughout the world.

A little-known fact: Each Burgundy wine is produced from just two grape varieties — Pino Noir (black) and Chardonnay (white).

As I traveled from vineyard to vineyard, each displayed signs identifying the wine it produced — Vosne Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Nuits St. Georges. I sensed I was in a rarefied and special region as I learned that the pinnacle of a vintner’s crop is called Gran Cru and that some of those wines sell for upwards of $1,000 a bottle. I visited Dufouleur Père & Fils in Nuits-Saint-Georges, descending into a dark, cool cellar and sampling some of its rare

offerings. My host, Bernard Pennecost, cellar master, was good-natured and patient with this neophyte, providing an in-depth explanation for each wine I tried.

CASTLES, CHÂTEAUX AND MANSIONS

This area of France is a destination unto itself, dotted with impressive and historically significant castles. Its Route des Châteaux features 17 castles from different periods of French history, including the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. The Château de Bazoches is a sumptuous palace and past home to the architect Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, whose castles and fortifications for Louis XIV are found throughout the country. As we drove slowly up a wooded hill, the medieval château lay directly before us, its 12th-century

Burgundy’s Route des Châteaux features 17 castles from different periods of French history, including the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical. Courtesy France Tourism.

towers shimmering in the sun. Unlike many unoccupied castles, empty and forlorn, this was an entirely furnished château with the bedchamber armor and library of Vauban intact. Outside, it was picture-taking time amid the 17th century décor and gardens by André Le Nôtre, landscape designer of Versailles.

MY MICHELIN EXPERIENCE

I had the good luck to spend a night at a delightful resort, L’Esperance, in the town of Saint-Père-sous-Vezelay. When I visited, the owner/chef of this Relais & Châteaux property was the late Marc Meneau. He and his wife Francine were gracious hosts who led me into a cave/wine cellar to sample their superb Chardonnays. Waiters from the restaurant gingerly descended into the cellar with trays

of amuse-bouches to enjoy with the wine.

L’Esperance has three Michelin stars and dining there was a true haute experience. The restaurant, (closed temporarily during Covid) is enclosed in an airy glass arboretum where I gazed out at elaborate formal gardens. My repast consisted of several courses, one a unique potato dish presented in four distinct ways, each subtly different, each delicious. Leave it to the French to elevate the humble potato to this divine fare.

PARDON ME, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY GREY POUPON?

Well, yes, indeed I do. The next day I set out for Dijon, a two-hour drive from Saint-Pere.

This city is the capital of Burgundy, an exciting town of almost half a million and the heart and soul of fine French food. Apart from food,

it offers a wealth of cultural activities, festivals and museums. The Fine Arts Museum displays kitchens that date from the mid-1400s and the Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne offers a glimpse into how Burgundians lived in olden days. I headed straight for Les Halles, the famed Dijon Market. As I traversed this gargantuan space, it seemed that every single resident was there strolling the aisles, sniffing, squeezing and tasting the market’s sumptuous fare — meats, cheeses, breads, fish and even some comestibles so unique and unusual that you had to ask what they were.

My guide was a Bronx-born expat, Alex Miles, who has lived in France for years and has the distinction of being the only American giving cooking classes in the heart of Burgundy. His culinary and cultural experiences are vast and, being acquainted with most of the market’s merchants, he asked for delectable samples at several counters. Lucky me, they were happy to oblige.

This marvelous market, I quickly discovered, is far more than just a place to buy food.

It’s an integral part of the Djonaise quotidian pastime, a place for neighbors to meet, greet, exchange gossip, be happy and feel sated. As I left, I simply had to stop at a little shop around the corner, the Maille Store, home to 36 varieties of mustard. There’s Green Tea, Brittany Algae, Fig and Coriander mustards as well as other strange and fabulous flavors.

Burgundy is a region with much to see and do, from hot air ballooning and biking along cool mountain trails to climbing to the tops of castles and delving deep inside wine cellars.

Every day that I spent there was a happy adventure. I was captivated by the beauty of the place and the welcoming (yes, welcoming) French. So friends, A Votre Sante! Bon Appetite!

Now go visit beautiful Burgundy.

For more, visit about-france.com.

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Seven tips to boost male fertility

BY SHAUN WILLIAMS, M.D.

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE, MALE INFERTILITY ISSUES ACCOUNT FOR 40% OF ALL INFERTILITY PROBLEMS. For those looking to conceive,

the information may seem overwhelming.

Luckily, simple lifestyle changes are often the thing that can improve sperm counts most.

With that in mind, here are a few lifestyle tips for men that can greatly improve their overall well-being, including their fertility potential.

REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ALCOHOL

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on fertility.

Heavy drinking by men can result in low levels of testosterone, reduced sperm production and altered sperm. Reducing or eliminating your alcohol intake can make a significant difference in sperm quality.

KEEP YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATED

Elevated body temperature, especially around your scrotum, may have a role in reduced sperm production. Limiting or avoiding your time in hot tubs and saunas may be beneficial. You should also avoid tight-fitting pants and underwear and refrain from using your laptop on your lap for extended periods of time.

STOP SMOKING

Smoking of any kind (cigarette, JUUL, E-Cig, cigars, marijuana, etc.) is harmful and counterproductive to a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. Smoking is associated with impotence and erectile dysfunction. Nicotine and the more than 4,000 chemicals used in cigarettes have been associated with damage to genetic material. Studies suggest both smoke and smokeless tobacco impairs sperm function. Male smokers can experience decreased sperm quality, lower counts, motil-

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Healthy living is key to male fertility, says Shaun Williams, M.D. Photograph

by Isaac Quesada.

ity and an increased number of abnormally shaped sperm. If you smoke, now is the time to stop. There are various smoking cessation programs that can help to support you.

LIMIT STRESS

Stress is a part of life but doing your best to control your body’s response to stress can have a beneficial effect on sperm production.

Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, meditate and do your best to avoid stressful situations when trying to conceive.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR DIET

Diets that include red meat, processed meats, butter, coconut oil, high-fat dairy, pizza, high-sugar energy drinks, sweets, alcohol and refined grains are associated with risk for low-sperm count and do not support fertility. Greater consumption of organic poultry, low-mercury fish and a Mediterranean-style diet will help toward healthy sperm counts.

VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS

For men planning for a pregnancy, vitamin supplementation with appropriate male-focused vitamins is encouraged. Additional zinc, folic acid, selenium and L-carnitine can be beneficial for sperm production. DHA, which is present in fish oil supplements, has also shown beneficial effects on sperm cell structure. Antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, can even help protect the DNA quality inside the sperm.

On the other hand, “testosterone boosters”

and anabolic steroids, such as testosterone gels or injections, can severely affect sperm production for extended periods of time. It is best to avoid these completely but use should certainly be discontinued as soon as pregnancy is contemplated.

THE THREE-MONTH PLAN

A sperm cell takes 90 days to fully develop and mature. When planning for the best quality sperm and lowest risk of male fertility issues, take three months to focus on these lifestyle changes as you plan for fatherhood.

If you hit unexpected bumps in the road and pregnancy isn’t coming as easily as planned, be quick to plan a test to ensure everything is functioning normally. Much information is gained from a simple semen analysis, which is best if performed early on to ensure the easiest path to parenthood.

NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO START

At any point in your family-building journey, it will be beneficial to live a healthy lifestyle. Making the decision to educate yourself and take the steps to make beneficial changes now are two of the best things you can do as you prepare for parenthood.

Shaun Williams, M.D., is a partner in Reproductive Endocrinology at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut and is board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. For more, visit rmact.com.

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Educating people about fitness

BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI

GREG WATSON IS A LONGTIME FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE. We met early on in my fitness ca-

reer and hit it off immediately. We pushed each other both personally and professionally, and I am happy to see him take the leap as a new gym owner. Throughout his life, he has displayed a razor-sharp mentality and discipline. During his time in the U.S. Army, he excelled in the fitness examination. The local gyms were his first stop at every base or duty station, and he was often the only one in his units who would use personal time to go work out. Everywhere he traveled he would not only look for a place to get a workout but also evaluate gym designs, equipment available and services offered at each facility.

After collecting 30 years of observations on fitness, coaching, gyms and fitness facility design, Elite Life and Fitness Studio in New Rochelle was born. I took my first visit to his facility recently and sat down with Greg for this interview:

What Is Elite Life and Fitness?

“Elite Life and Fitness was created to design an experience in the fitness industry that is unparalleled in its entirety. Providing true fitness professionals, it’s a platform that offers service that excels in our industry. As a way of living, Elite Life and Fitness’ vision and mission is to provide the ultimate fitness experience to our staff, members, visitors and community at large.”

What does your facility offer?

“We offer a variety of personal training, small-group training, nutritional guidance and coaching. We are currently expanding our services, which will be announced beginning of the fourth quarter. We also offer services for fitness professionals — that is, independent contract trainers who need a space to train their clients.”

Statistics show that nine out of 10 fitness facilities will close after one year. What have you done, especially during a pandemic, to keep your business flourishing?

“From the onset of Covid-19, the pandemic exposed one of the most important factors of

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Greg Watson, founder of Elite Life and Fitness, with Giovanni Roselli.

Courtesy Roselli Health & Fitness.

our lives. That would be, do not take (life) for granted. One of the most impactful ways to become stronger and more resilient physically and increase natural immunity, is better health, wellness and fitness.”

“To keep business flourishing, I decided to connect deeper with our community, giving people easier access to our facilities and professional network. Increasing the knowledge of health and wellness necessary for yourself can be a significant value to gain healthy longevity.

Second, I have worked with my team to create an environment that is a community that invests in health and wellness. Covid-19 has disrupted our fitness community in positive ways, not just negative. From a fitness company’s perspective, it has given us new and more creative ways to help our community. It has shown how important individual health, fitness and wellness are.”

What makes your facility different than others?

“What makes Elite Life and Fitness different is summed up by saying: We do not take for granted the individual fitness professionals who are on the front line of quality service. We value them as much as we value each client and member. Elite Life and Fitness is a company designed to allow both fitness professionals and members or clients not only to survive but to thrive. It’s not about us but about you or, as we say in our motto, you being the best version of you.”

You are pound for pound one of the strongest people I've ever met. What advice would you give to the readers out there who are looking to improve their strength?

“Strength that is physical can be limited by emotions and doubts. Give it 100% without fear or limits, stay consistent, build mental resilience as you build physical strength. Rinse and repeat.

Greater strength will come in many ways.”

As a proud father of five and given your career, how influential have health and fitness been on your children’s upbringing?

“I now know and understand that habits, environment and life lessons shape and mold my children to form a belief system of their own. I want to…exhibit constructive ways for them to have the healthiest lives possible. Giving stronger attention to proper nutrition, activities that are fitness-based and teaching them wellness and mindfulness are tools and wisdom that were missed as I grew up. I realize no matter how successful they become in life, it’s nothing without a healthy lifestyle and wellness of their minds and emotions to really live.”

What are your thoughts on the future of fitness facilities?

“Covid-19 brought about a change in fitness and fitness facilities. Now more than ever more people have some type of fitness equipment at home. There are also innovative ways to get a workout via apps on our smart devices. This begs the question: How do gyms and fitness facilities compete? My answer is having a hybrid model that allows flexibility and options for members and clients. The one-price model for big gyms is antiquated. We have a community that is not looking for a one stop shop any longer. They want options due to commute times, and crowded classes are not appealing when they have home equipment. Elite Life and Fitness has solutions to these issues. We are ready to move and change with new fitness trends.”

Elite Life and Fitness is in the Colonial Village Shopping Center at 1495 Weaver St., second floor, New Rochelle. For more, visit iameliteny.com.

Walk With Us, Wherever You Are. Be a part of a community that cares!

Proceeds fund Support Connection’s free breast and ovarian cancer support services. www.supportconnection.org walk@supportconnection.org, 914-962-6402

AUGUST 2021 WAGMAG.COM

Bring help and hope to people fighting breast and ovarian cancer.

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Million-dollar baby Every photo of Nelson shows off his million-dollar smile. It basically sums up his personality as he is a happy-go-lucky guy who loves people and wants to run and play with them.

The 4-year-old Hound mix, who weighs in at around 45 pounds, would be great for an active family that’s as fun-loving as he is.

To learn more, complete an application at spca914.org and email it to shelter@ spca914.org.

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Fun-loving Nelson is searching for an active forever home.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki.

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WHEN & WHERE THROUGH AUG. 20

The Silvermine Summer Salon Guild Exhibition consists of the work of more than 100 guild members from across the country, giving the community the opportunity to see the newest work from a range of Silvermine Guild artists. Also available online. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Silvermine Galleries, 1037 Silvermine Road, New Canaan; 203966-5617, silvermineart.org

AUG. 1

Beechwood Arts & Innovation celebrates its 10th anniversary with a special edition of its annual Beechwood Open, “Opening Up,” where everyone is invited to perform, exhibit or share their wares under a 400-year-old copper beech. In addition to sign ups, there are tent-pole performances, special installations, surprises and 3 acres of grounds for you to explore. 2 to 6 p.m.

52 Weston Road, Westport; 203-226-9462, beechwoodarts.org.

The Summer Theatre of New Canaan presents “The Honky Tonk Angels,” a musical about three gals who follow their dreams to Nashville. Hit songs include Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man”; Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You”; “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” made famous by Nancy Sinatra; and Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

The show features an all-star women’s country band on stage 6 p.m., 70 Pine St.; 203-966-4634, stonc.org.

AUG. 1 THROUGH 8

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo presents family favorite Chris Rowlands, bringing animals to life through kid-friendly songs, dance, puppets and colorful props. Free with admission to the zoo. Daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport; 203-394-6565, contemprints.org.

Aug. 21: John Lloyd Young, seen here at the White House in 2015, performs at the White Plains Performing Arts Center. Photograph by Alex Wong.

AUG. 1 THROUGH 14

Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra presents the Charles Ives Music Festival, two weeks of concerts entitled “The Promise of Living” as a homage to the movement of the same title from Aaron Copland’s opera, “The Tender Land.” Music by today’s American composers, the music of Charles Ives and music that transcends the boundaries of classical music.

Various places and times; 203-894-8786, charlesivesmusicfestival.org

AUG. 3 THROUGH 24 Jazz Forum Arts presents a series of outdoor concerts by Mark Morganelli & The Jazz Forum All-Stars. Morganelli, a soloist, band leader and tour guide, will celebrate Brazil with his new album. 6:30 p.m., Horan’s Landing Park; jazzforumarts.org

AUG. 4 THROUGH AUG. 25 New Rochelle Council on the Arts presents its “Summer Sounds Concert Series” at Hudson Park. The free Wednesday night concerts will feature an eclectic lineup of bands. 7:30 p.m., Hudson Park Bandshell; newrochellearts.org

Your Award-Winning Hospital wphospital.org/awards

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AUG. 7

Music Theatre of Connecticut’s “Hot Summer Nights” series, featuring awardwinning talent from the finest New York City clubs and cabarets now appearing in Fairfield County, presents “It’s DeLovely: Jeff Harnar Sings Cole Porter.” The evening includes standards such as “Night and Day,” “Under My Skin,” “Begin the Beguine” and surprises originally introduced

by Danny Kaye and Jimmy Durante. Harnar is an award-winning cabaret, concert and recording artist whose Carnegie Hall appearances have included both the Cole Porter and Noel Coward centennial galas. 8 p.m. 509 Westport Ave., Norwalk; 203-4543883, musictheatreofct.com.

Play With Your Food presents a special version of its lunchtime program, pairing irreverent short plays by established and emerging playwrights with professional actors in an early-evening program at Weston’s Lachat Town Farm. Plays include Dave DeChristopher’s whimsical short “Chanty;” “The Romancers,” a family comedy of intrigue and deception by Edmund Rostand, author of “Cyrano de

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WHEN & WHERE Bergerac;” and Avery Deutsch’s “The Donor,” a one-acter about the lengths an out-of-work actor will go to for the role of a lifetime. Bring your own chair. Grounds open for picnicking 5:15 p.m. Performance and discussion 6 p.m. 106 Godfrey Road West, Weston; 203-293-8729, jibproductions.org.

AUG. 7 AND 8

The SoNo Arts Festival will fill the streets of South Norwalk with artworks by more than 100 juried artists and neighborhood businesses over the weekend. Mini open-air galleries will be accompanied by live music throughout and enticing SoNo culinary specials at the many participating local restaurants together with discounts at SoNo shops. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Washington, N. Main and S. Main streets; 203-852-6478, sonoartsfest@ gmail.com.

AUG. 8, 15, 22 AND 29

The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts and the City of Norwalk inaugurate the “Broadway in the Park” concert series in Mathews Park, where Broadway stars come to sing favorite Disney classics. Relax, picnic and enjoy live performances of hits from “The Little Mermaid,” “Mary Poppins,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” “Moana” and more. Food trucks will be onsite and you can expect pop-up surprises for interested families with younger fans.

5 to 7 p.m. 295 West Ave.; 203-314-2854, thenorwalkconservatory.org.

AUG. 10 ArtsWestchester and the city of Mount Vernon present Westchester Roots: Jomion & the Uklos. This family band from Benin, West Africa, combines traditional rhythms and songs from Vodou culture with reggae, salsa and jazz. 6:30pm at Mount Vernon City Hall Plaza. Part of ArtsWestchester’s “Westchester Roots” summer concert series. artsw.org

AUG. 12 Irvington Theater continues its “Sunset Cinema” outdoor film series with a screening of “Gimme Shelter.” The documentary chronicles the tumultuous final weeks of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 United States tour. 7:30 p.m., Main Street School lawn; irvingtontheater.com

AUG. 13

Rebirth Brass Band brings the French Quarter to Fairfield Theatre Company’s The Warehouse this summer. “Rebirth can be precise whenever it wants to,” says The New York Times, “but it’s more like a party than a machine. It’s a working model of the New Orleans musical ethos: As long as everybody knows what they’re doing, anyone can cut loose.” Rebirth’s signature brand of heavy funk has placed it among the world’s top brass bands and it is a hands-down favorite among the younger generation. 8 p.m. 70 Sanford St.; 203-2591036, fairfieldtheatre.org.

AUG. 14 THROUGH 24

Heather Gaudio Fine Art presents “A Sense of Place,” featuring new works by Tegan Brozyna Roberts, Simona Prives and Viviane Rombaldi Seppey. Memory, geography and cultural experiences are underlying themes explored by these three women artists. Through an innovative use of paper, maps, threads, printmaking, collage and projected imagery, the artists in the show create two- and three-dimensional objects that express universal notions of belonging and association. 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

66 Elm St., New Canaan; 203-801-9590, heathergaudiofineart.com.

AUG. 18 Emelin Theatre and the village of Mamaroneck host “Rise & Shine Concerts in the Park.” This outdoor concert will feature music by the all-female mariachi

band Flor de Toloache. 7 p.m., Mamaroneck’s Harbor Island Park; emelin.org Aug. 20 Music at MoCA presents Samara Joy, featuring the Pasquale Grasso Trio in a “Jazz at Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Spotlight.” Following her win with the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Joy is recording her debut album, backed by the trio. 7 p.m. MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport; 203-222-7070, mocawestport.org.

AUG. 20 AND 21

The Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art hosts the 2021 Peekskill Film Festival, spot-lighting a series of outdoor screenings. The festival, which screens feature-length projects, short films, documentaries and animated films created by local filmmakers, is back after a pause last summer due to the pandemic. Live music, dinner options and group discussions will accompany the films. 6 p.m., 1701 Main St.; 914-788-0100, hudsonvalleymoca.org

AUG. 21

Katonah Museum of Art continues its “Summer Socials” concert series in the museum’s Marilyn M. Simpson Sculpture Garden. The outdoor concert will feature live music by Blonde Ambition and artmaking inspired by the museum’s exhibition “Cladogram: 2nd KMA International Juried Biennial.” 6 p.m.,134 Jay St.; Katonahmuseum.org White Plains Performing Arts Center presents “Jukebox Hero,” a live performance by Tony and Grammy Awardwinning Broadway performer John Lloyd Young (“Jersey Boys”). Lloyd Young will perform classic hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s.

8 p.m., 11 City Place; wppac.com

Your Award-Winning Hospital wphospital.org/awards

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Fancy new digs White Plains and Westchester County officials joined with Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) June 17 to celebrate the transformation of a former office tower into 1 Martine at City Square, a new luxury rental with loft-style apartments and amenities that has a private park and art gallery. Attendees included, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, White Plains Mayor Tom Roach; GDC founder Martin Ginsburg and ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam.

1. George Latimer, Tom Roach, Martin Ginsburg and Janet Langsam.

Iona honors women Iona College hosted its annual Trustees Scholarship Award Gala on June 4, raising $1 million to support student scholarships and help establish the new Women’s Legacy Fund, which provides financial assistance to deserving female students who exhibit the spirit of Iona through their academic excellence, commitment to the community and demonstrated leadership.

This year’s gala honored the outstanding accomplishments of distinguished Iona alumnae through the Women of Achievement Awards.

Recipients were recognized for their exceptional endeavors in their chosen careers as well as their significant contributions to their communities.

Held both in person and virtually, the gala served as the culminating event of the “50 Years of Women at Iona” celebration, which had been interrupted due to Covid-19.

1. Cathy L. Cogan-Kelly, Anna Filipkowski Houlihan, M.D., Theresa A. Gottlieb, Linda M. Bruno, Rita C. Mabli and Catherine R. McCabe.

Front row, from left: Flory Netsch Hiatrides, Catherine A. Vitali Mayus, Caress A. Penelton, Ingrid N. Thompson-Sellers, Margaret C. Timoney and Amy Torigian Parise.

2. Patricia Murphy MacGillivray and Joseph and Carolyn T. Murphy.

3. Margaret C. Timoney and Seamus Carey.

4. Seamus and Noreen Carey and Joseph Houlihan and Anna Filipkowski Houlihan, M.D. 5. Anne Marie and James Hynes.

All identifications are from left unless othewise indicated.

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A magical, musical Marsalis Juneteenth The Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah marked the first official Juneteenth — and the opening of its acclaimed international summer music festival — with a concert of works by a composer, Duke Ellington, who understood emotionally and musically that we are one race, the human one. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s gala appearance was a year in the making. The orchestra, led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, was supposed to celebrate Caramoor’s 75th anniversary last year when Covid intervened. Maybe, however, it was always meant for Juneteenth, which commemorates the actual end of slavery in America.

Certainly, the moment seemed to be destined, with Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi giving it a kind of gravitas and imprimatur.

She received a long, loud standing ovation from the 300 attendees in Caramoor’s tented, Moorishstyle Venetian Theater, who included former congresswoman Nita M. Lowey, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Caramoor Chairman of the Board of Trustees James Attwood and Caramoor President and CEO Edward J. Lewis III. ­— Georgette Gouveia Photographs by Gabe Palacio/Caramoor.

1. Edward J. Lewis III, Paul Pelosi, Leslie Attwood, Wynton Marsalis, Nancy Pelosi and James Attwood.

2. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

3. Nita M. Lowey and Nancy Pelosi.

4. Paul Pelosi and Peter Kend.

5. Paul Pelosi, Nita M. Lowey and Adam Silver.

6. Ned Kelly, Lisa Welch and David Hochberg 7. James Attwood, Edward J. Lewis III and Peter Kend.

8. The Venetian Theater lit with Adam Neumann’s butterfly projections.

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Supporting our youth The Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon gathered for its annual Corporate Golf Outing fundraiser on June 21 at the Mount Kisco Country Club to honor its longest serving board member, Joe Solimine Sr., and Corey and Tamara Galloway, owners of the indoor football team the New York Streets and the first AfricanAmerican owners of a professional sports team. The sold-out event also featured guest speakers, including former New York state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, who spoke about the importance of bolstering youth in Mount Vernon and the continued celebration of Juneteenth to foster the advancement of young people’s dreams.

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1. Tom Mercein, Fred Powers and Wes Matthews.

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Power brokers

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Houlihan Lawrence recently announced that eight agents have been named among America’s top 250 real estate professionals in the nation, more than any other brokerage in Westchester and Fairfield counties. The honor places them in the top one-tenth of 1% of the more than 1.4 million licensed real estate professionals nationwide. Now in its 16th year, the REAL Trends & Tom Ferry “The Thousand” list is considered the industry’s definitive ranking.

Seated, from left, Lisa Murphy, B.K. Bates and Julie Church. Standing, from left, Angela Kessel, Amanda Miller, Ellen Mosher, Joanne Mancuso and Pollena Forsman.

‘Fore’ Phelps

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Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health welcomed golfers from across the region for the 17th Phelps Golf Classic at Sleepy Hollow Country Club June 7. The sold-out event raised more than $175,000 for the nonprofit, acute care community hospital, becoming the most successful golf outing in the organization’s history.

1. Eileen Egan, Owen O'Neill and Melissa Melvin.

2. Nate Paul, Melissa Melvin and Janna Andrews, M.D. 3. Judith and Michael D. M. Sullivan.

4. Kevin and Rosemary Plunkett.

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A great day for polo – and dads White Birch, Greenwich Polo Club’s home team, came from behind to defeat Palm Beach Equine 11-8 for the East Coast Bronze Cup on a hot but picture-perfect Father’s Day that saw the start of summer. All afternoon, White Birch’s Pablo Llorente Jr. and Palm Beach Equine’s Gringo Colombres mixed it up in what was a seesaw match for many of the chukkers. But in the end White Birch pulled away to remain undefeated in tournament play, anchored

by MVP Chris Brant, son of club founder Peter Brant.

Odelay, out of Los Machitos, took the blanket for Best Playing Pony. Los Machitos is an Argentine breeding and training center for high-goal polo ponies, co-owned by White Birch mainstay Mariano Aguerre and fellow player Nick Manifold. Max Gundlach of fourth-place finisher Level Select CBD was named the tournament’s amateur MVP. Nacho Figueras, the Ralph Lauren Polo spokesmodel who was such a memorable opponent to Prince Harry in the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup in 2013, was on hand to present the awards. The season continues on select Sundays through Sept. 12. – Georgette Gouveia

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1. White Birch and Palm Beach Equine.

2. White Birch’s Pablo Llorente Jr., Juan Olivera Jr., Chris Brant and Mariano Aguerre with children.

3. White Birch with the bubbly.

4. Polo legends: Nacho Figueras embraces Mariano Aguerre.

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Supporting Malta House

Making an ‘Impact’

The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education announced June 3 that it has awarded $250,000 to Malta House in Norwalk to support its new building, specifically the new kitchen and family gathering place. (The nonprofit is devoted to young, unwed, underserved pregnant women. A plaque in the new Malta House kitchen reads: “With thanksgiving to The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education for providing the most basic human needs to Fairfield County since 1992.” The Inner-City Foundation announced late last year that it would be dissolving after almost 30 years of supporting the needy in Fairfield County via education and social service support.

Impact100 Westchester, a women’s collective giving organization, just completed its eighth grant cycle. With 306 members in 2021, Impact100 awarded $306,000 to Westchester County nonprofits, including two $85,000 Transformational Project Grants to Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison and the YWCA of Yonkers; four $26,500 Core Mission Grants to Hope’s Door, Port Chester Carver Center, Stem Alliance and Westchester Medical Center Foundation; a $15,000 Focus Area Award to Sheltering the Homeless is Our Responsibility; and three $5,000 Focus Area Awards to Apropos Housing Opportunities, Interfaith Council for Action and Westchester Residential Opportunities. The virtual June 8 event was led by co-presidents Samantha Schwam and Laura Stone.

Christopher Bell, Carey Dougherty, Msgr. William Scheyd and Joel Miller.

Laura Stone and Samantha Schwam.

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WE WONDER:

WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU ’ D LOVE TO TAKE A CL ASS IN? “I’ve always wanted to take a pottery class. I love how hands-on it is and how creative you could get. Not to mention it could be free home décor pieces.”

NOELLE BIANCULLI pharmacist Milford resident

“I would like to learn more about personal financing and be able to retire at a much younger age than previous generations. Or as they call it, the “FIRE Movement” – Financially Independent Retire Early.”

SERGIO CASTILLO driver Mount Kisco resident

“How to do my taxes. I feel like I never was taught how to do them properly, as well as bills and bank account.

There is so much fine print. I really wish schools would consider teaching younger adults about these kinds of topics.”

“I would like to take a boxing class.

It’s a great workout and better for my self-defense as a woman.”

KAYLA CRONIN

senior account executive Stamford resident

GABRIELLA CERUTTI assistant teacher Mount Kisco resident

“Digital marketing. It’s the new way of promoting and growing your personal brand as well as anything in today’s world. I would like to better my skills and learn new digital marketing concepts.”

STEVE DEL RE

insurance sales All State Scarsdale resident

“I’ve always wanted to learn more about cake decorating. Mainly because I love the show “Cake Boss,” but I also think this would save me a lot of money in the long run. It could be a great stress relief, too.”

KIMBERLY ROSS

early child special education New York City resident

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“Definitely a class on stocks and the stock market/investing so I could learn how to make money from it and grow my wealth responsibly.”

KAYLEIGH DONOFRIO server Madison resident

“I would like to learn how to invest in the stock market as well as take a class on the step-by-step process in buying a home for the first time. I feel like no one ever teaches you or talks about how to start.”

NICHOLAS TOTO

accounting and finance recruiter The McIntyre Group, Milford resident

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