15th Annual Great Conversations

Reception, Dinner, and Conversation with Celebrated Hosts

Wednesday, April 26, 2023
6:00pm Cocktail Reception   •   7:15pm Dinner
Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ

GREAT CONVERSATIONS is a unique event that gives guests the opportunity to dine and talk with a prominent individual while supporting the arts! Our conversationalists are made up of 27 honored guests who contribute to the diverse character of our community including: artists, top business leaders, world-class performers, entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, culinary stars, and more. We invite you to take advantage of this unique evening of exchanging ideas while savoring a delicious meal, refreshing drink, and great conversation. Read the official press release.

In celebration of its golden anniversary, Morris Arts is thrilled to incorporate the talents of two local arts grantee* organizations throughout the evening. Lakeland Youth Symphony’s Youth Ensemble will provide live music during the cocktail hour with a quintet led by the symphony’s Executive Director, Sue On. Morristown Neighborhood House will feature the captains of their Unity Stepper Dance & Drill Team in a performance led by Before & Afterschool Supervisor, Adia Harris.

Choose Your Conversationalist

When you register, you are asked to select your top 5 Conversationalist choices. We will assign you to sit with one of these choices. Seating assignments are first come, first serve. This popular event fills up quickly, so be sure to purchase your tickets early.

ARTS, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Jill Abramovitz Theatre and TV actor, award-winning lyricist, and acting coach; performances include Beetlejuice, The Musical and Chicago Med	Courtney DiGiovanni Walt Disney Studios and Disney+ – Director of Publicity for such hits as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Black Panther, etc
Anthony Marques Comic artist, editor, and instructor; Owner/President of The Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Arts and Dewey’s Comic City	Bill Stephney Broad Market Media – Principal; Co-creator/producer of Public Enemy; former president of Def Jam Records; producer of Kaepernick & America film
Rosalind Nzinga Vaughn-Nichol Mixed Media Artist and Papermaker featuring Africana Iconography, antique textiles, and a spiritual quality

AUTHORS & MEDIA

Kimberly Alvarez NJ Advance Media – Chief Revenue Officer; award-winning multimedia advertising expert	Bianca Bosker New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork, hailed as the “Kitchen Confidential” of wine
Joseph Lee NJ PBS – VP & General Manager; public media leader and pioneer in community engagement	Lisa Vickery Newspaper Editor at a Pulitzer Prize winning business-focused daily newspaper based in NYC

CLIMATE SCIENCE

Anthony Broccoli, Ph.D. Rutgers Climate Institute – Co-Director; Professor of Atmospheric Science; co-author of Beyond Global Warming

CULINARY ARTS & FOOD MARKETING

Esi Seng Tate’s Bake Shop – CEO (part of Mondelēz International); brand innovator and consumer packaged goods expert	Tom Valenti Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen – Executive Chef; acclaimed former chef of Le Cirque, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Ouest

DATA PRIVACY & NATIONAL SECURITY

Jim Mottola VP of Data Privacy, Investigations, and Security at Porzio Compliance Services; former Secret Service Special Agent	Brett Whitsitt Founder & CEO of Squire Solutions, tech company improving military and emergency response; former Navy SEAL Officer

HEALTHCARE & PHARMA

Stanley B. Fiel, M.D., FACP, FCCP Chief Medical Officer at Morristown Medical Center specializing in pulmonology	John Maki Bayesian Biotech – CEO; an AI-enabled precision medicine tech company. Listen to a personal invite from John.
Lisa Tank, M.D., FACP, CMD Chief Medical Officer at Hackensack University Medical Center specializing in geriatrics	Yesmean H. Wahdan, M.D. Bayer – VP US Medical Affairs, Women’s Healthcare
Kimberly Wolf Pfizer – VP of Global Hematology; pharmaceutical leader with experience in biotechnology. Listen to a personal invite from Kimberly.

MILITARY SERVICE

Sergeant Major Al Hockaday SgtMaj US Marine Corps (Ret); first African American sniper in US Marines; awarded two Purple Hearts. Listen to a personal invite from Al.

REAL ESTATE & FINANCE

Mark Beausoleil Valley Bank – EVP & Director of Retail Banking; sought after retail banking speaker and thought leader	Sara Queen MetLife Investment Management – Managing Director & Head of Real Estate Equity; Columbia University Adjunct Professor of MSRED program

SOCIAL IMPACT

John Harmon, Sr. African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ – Founder, President & CEO	Patrick Munduga Founder & Executive Director of ANCHOR, addressing violence and economic exclusion in Uganda. Listen to a personal invite from Patrick.

TRANSFORMATION & TECH

Ritesh Patel Finn Partners – Senior Partner, Global Digital Health; digital evangelist; restaurant owner; DJ	Tom Puthiyamadam PwC – Transformation Consulting Solutions and Products Leader; media commentator on digital trends and transformation

Sports

Marc de Grandpré New York Red Bulls – President and General Manager; global brand and business builder; autism advocate