Great Conversations 2021

Thank you to those who joined us in 2021 at our virtual Great Conversations at Home event – we greatly appreciate your support.

We are looking forward to a “live” in-person event this year on April 27 – stay tuned for details.

In the meantime, for your reference, please take a look at the 2021 digital program and the 2021 conversationalists listed below to get an idea of the honored guests we host at our gala event.

Last year’s stellar line-up of Conversationalists,  whom you can read about below, are drawn from the following fields: Arts, Music & Entertainment; Authors & Media; Culinary Arts & Food; Entrepreneurs; Financial Services; Healthcare & Pet Care; Real Estate & Architecture; Science & Medicine and Social Impact & Government Relations.

You can also “meet” them HERE.

Arts, Music & Entertainment

Willie Cole Contemporary American sculptor, conceptual and visual artist	Mindi Dickstein Award-winning lyricist, librettist, and playwright
Mark Rivera Famous rock ‘n roll saxophonist for Billy Joel and other music elite including Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel, and Sir Paul McCartney	Nick Wyman Stage, film and television actor; career includes roles in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables on Broadway and on Veep TV

Authors & Media

Amanda Benchley Journalist, filmmaker, co-author of three books including Our Shoes, Our Selves	Ann Berry Chief Investment Officer at Wheelhouse, a media, marketing, and investment platform; TV news commentator for the BBC, CBS, and CNN
Virginia Buckingham Best-selling author of On My Watch: A Memoir, her story of resilience after being scapegoated as CEO of Logan Airport during the 9/11 attacks	Diana Henriques Best-selling author of The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust;  played herself in the HBO film opposite Robert De Niro; award-winning financial journalist
Jamie Kraft Sr. Managing Editor of NJ Spotlight News, part of NJ PBS; Emmy® Award-winning television broadcast journalist	John Seigenthaler Former weekend anchor for NBC Nightly News; currently a Partner at Finn Partners

Culinary Arts & Food

David Burke Celebrity chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author; opening 1776 by David Burke featuring Topgolf Swing Suite in Morristown in 2021.	Nancy Pak CEO of Tate’s Bake Shop, part of Mondelēz International; consumer products & naturals industry expert

Entrepreneurs

Thomas Maoli Founder of Celebrity Motor Cars; serial entrepreneur; real estate mogul; Go Big or Go Home radio show host, sold The Abbey in Morristown to RH (Restoration Hardware).

Financial Services

Christy Cornish Barclays – Director of International Business Engagement

Healthcare & Pet Care

Nicole Bennett CEO of Pethealth Inc., provider of pet insurance and pet care services	Ruth Clements Quest Diagnostics – VP/General Manager of Infectious Disease & Immunology, and Quest for Health Equity
Frank D’Amelio Pfizer – Chief Financial Officer & EVP, Global Supply

Real Estate & Architecture

Pietro Cicognani Cofounder of Cicognani Kalla Architect, serving A-List clients including actress Isabella Rossellini	Jeff Milanaik Bridge Development Partners – Partner, Northeast Region
David Stanchak RH (Restoration Hardware) – President, Chief Real Estate & Development Officer; leading the renovation of The Abbey in Morristown into a RH design center

Science & Medicine

George Philander, Ph.D Renowned climate scientist, El Niño expert, Princeton University Professor Emeritus	Daniel Varga, M.D. Hackensack Meridian Health – Chief Physician Executive
Thomas Zaubler, M.D. Morristown Medical Center – Chair & Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry

Social Impact & Government Relations

Richard Constable Madison Square Garden Entertainment – EVP, Global Head of Government Affairs & Social Impact	Carlos Rodriguez Community Food Bank of New Jersey – President & CEO