‘Great Conversations’ serves everything from global warming to ice hockey, April 30

great conversations banner 2015
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great conversations banner 2015

Looking for a conversation you can sink your teeth into?

Morris Arts has just the thing: The seventh annual Great Conversations dinner returns on April 30, 2015, at the Madison Hotel in Morris Township.

Robert Socolow, emeritus professor at Princeton, and an expert on energy policy, is among featured guests at 'Great Conversations' in 2015.
Robert Socolow, emeritus professor at Princeton, and an expert on energy policy, is among featured guests at ‘Great Conversations’ in 2015.

This benefit for the local arts scene offers a roster loaded with fascinating people from the arts, sciences, government, media, sports and more. Mingle over cocktails, and dine with the expert of your choice. Tickets are $225 per seat.

This year’s lineup includes  Prof. Robert Socolow, an energy expert at Princeton, and Ken Daneyko, winner of three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils.

You can also meet a real-life Monuments Man,  Harry Ettlinger, who was part of the team that rescued art looted by the Nazis in World War II. These efforts inspired the George Clooney movie, The Monuments Men.

Ever fancied yourself a guitarist?  Meet the real deal, Frank Vignola.

Representing the local scene are Viki Craig, cofounder of Art in the Atrium, and Joseph M. Goryeb, chairman of the Mayo Performing Arts Center.  Got a question about Morristown’s downtown renaissance?  Ask town Planner Phil Abramson over drinks.

You can read our coverage of past Great Conversations here.

Below is the complete guest list, and details about reservations, for this year’s soiree.

FROM MORRIS ARTS:

Tickets are now on sale for Morris Arts’ 7th Great Conversations to be held on April 30, 2015, at the Madison Hotel, 1 Convent Road., Morris Township. Guests can mix and mingle with a stellar lineup of prominent and fascinating host conversationalists at a 6 pm reception leading to the 7:15 pm dinner where guests can converse in more depth with a specific host selected in advance.

Three-time Stanley Cup winner Ken Daneyko is a guest at 'Great Conversations' in 2015.
Three-time Stanley Cup winner Ken Daneyko is a guest at ‘Great Conversations’ in 2015.

This event offers guests the opportunity to meet and talk face-to-face with such luminaries as one of the last surviving WWII “Monuments Men” (portrayed in the George Clooney film), a NY Times bestselling author, a leading back surgeon, a NY Giants former tight end, a prizewinning chef, an internationally acclaimed opera and art song composer, a world expert on global energy, carbon management and policy, an internationally renowned jazz guitarist or another similarly fascinating, accomplished individuals.

Learn about their work, their thoughts on the world, their insights into their fields, and the experiences that shaped their lives. How did they get to where they are now? What lessons can they impart? This is an evening to exchange ideas and savor the pleasures of live encounters.  You may be surprised by what you discover.

Our host conversationalists this year include the following distinguished individuals:

ARTS
Victoria Craig                                Art in the Atrium – Co-Founder
Harry Ettlinger                             WW ll “Monuments Man,” helped rescue art looted by Nazi regime
Peter Genovese                             NJ Advance Media – Food/Features Writer, “Munchmobile” man; author.

Joseph M. Goryeb                        Mayo Performing Arts Center Chairman; former Principal, Champion Mortgage
Corey W. Heyer                           The Bernards Inn – Executive Chef
Lori Laitman                                 Internationally Acclaimed American Vocal Composer
Kimberly McCreight                     NY Times Bestselling Author of Reconstructing Amelia
Antoinette Montague                   International Jazz & Blues Singer; “Jazz Woman”
Stephen Sichak                              New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
Lora S. Urbanelli                           Montclair Art Museum – Director
Frank Vignola                                World Renowned Jazz Guitarist

SPORTS
Howard Cross Jr                                   NY Giants Former Tight End; “This Week in Football” Analyst
Ken Daneyko                               NJ Devils Three-time Stanley Cup Champion; NJ broadcaster
Paul H. Teti                                  Three–time US Olympic Rower; Normandy Real Estate Partners – Principal

HEALTHCARE
Everett Cunningham                     Quest Diagnostics – Senior VP, Commercial
Raymond F. Kerins Jr                   Bayer Corporation – Senior VP
John Maki                                    Vicus Therapeutics – Founder, President & CEO; BioNJ Board of Trustees
Charles Mohs                     Pfizer Consumer Healthcare – Chief Marketing Officer
Patrick A. Roth, MD                     Hackensack University Medical Center – Chairman,  Neurosurgery; Author
Kathleen T. Ruddy, MD                Breast Health & Healing Foundation – Founder & President; Breast surgeon
Eva Turbiner                                Zufall Health Center – President & CEO

SCIENCE
Robert Socolow, PhD                   Princeton Environmental Institute – Director, Climate & Energy Challenge

PUBLIC SERVICE
Phil Abramson                              Morristown Town Planner; Topology NJ – Principal
Brig. Gen. Patrick W. Burden        Picatinny Arsenal – Senior Commander
Honorable Harriet Derman          Former NJ Judge, Assemblywoman & Executive Branch Commissioner
Lt. Col. Ingrid Parker                    Picatinny Arsenal – Garrison Commander

INDUSTRY
Brian Fox                                     MetLife Investments – Chief Marketing Officer
Beth Kinerk                                  Avis Budget Group, Inc. – Senior VP, Sales for North America
Gail Mandel                                 Wyndham Exchange & Rentals – President & CEO
Anna Maria Tejada                       Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP – Partner; Hispanic National Bar Association
Stephanie Wilkes                          Mondelēz International – President, Global Gum & Candy

This very popular event fills up quickly so be sure to buy your tickets early, available online at www.morrisarts.org. Proceeds from Great Conversations help to support the many programs and services provided by Morris Arts.  Often accomplished “behind the scenes,” Morris Arts’ work serves hundreds of thousands of people each year – with arts in education programs, arts programming in the community, grants, scholarships, advocacy, innovative community-building events and support for artists and arts organizations. These efforts are critical to enriching and improving the quality of life in the broader community.   Come and savor the art of live conversation, meet some extraordinary individuals and help a truly worthy organization give back to its community.

Morris Arts gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our corporate sponsors: Bayer;
Hackensack University Medical Center; MetLife, Inc.; NJ Advance Media; PwC; Wyndham Worldwide; Mondelēz International;Normandy Real Estate Partners; Quest Diagnostics; The Avis Budget Charitable Foundation; JWeber Creative, LLC; Mariner Wealth Advisors – Madison; MCM Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley; Pfizer Consumer Healthcare; Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc.;Greensill Capital; Hampshire Destination Properties, LLC; Kings Super Markets; NK Architects; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Makovsky Integrated Communications; and Sherman Wells Sylvester & Stamelman LLP

Morris Arts is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1973 dedicated to engaging and building community through the arts. Using the arts to inspire, connect and engage, Morris Arts serves as a resource for Morris County with a special focus on arts programming in the schools and in the community, arts advocacy, and support of the Morris County community of artists and arts organizations.

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts has awarded the Morris Arts a “Citation of Excellence” and designated it as a “Major Service Organization” in recognition of its “solid history of service excellence, substantial activity and broad public service.”

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