Press Releases
Morris Arts: Tickets on Sale for the 11th Annual “Great Conversations”
Posted Monday, March 18th, 2019
Join Morris Arts for the 11th Anniversary of its Great Conversations gala, on May 1 from 6-9:30 p.m., and newly located this year at the Birchwood Manor in Hanover Township.
Great Conversations is a unique evening in Morris county of dinner and engaging dialogue with celebrated hosts from the arts, media, tech, sciences, public service, sports, industry and more.
Mingle with host conversationalists during the cocktail hour and then dine with such luminaries as a concert promoter for the likes of Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney, a celebrated novelist, an acclaimed visual artist, a visionary architect, the prop designer for Broadway shows and Shakespeare in the Park, an expert in climate adaptation/economic geography, a basketball commentator (and former pro player), or other similarly fascinating and accomplished individuals.
See the full list below.
Each dinner table will feature a host conversationalist whose unique experiences, life story and achievements will catalyze intriguing conversations.
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.
Visit www.morrisarts.org to find out more about the host conversationalists and to purchase tickets for this special event, which is co-chaired by Morris Arts’ board members Frank Vitolo and Stephen Aluotto.
Healthcare & Pharma
 David Hering Pfizer Vaccines – Regional President, North America |
 Cecilia McKenney Quest Diagnostics – SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer |
 Cary Renner Allergan – VP Sales, US General Medicine |
 Kevin Rigby Pharma Executive and Consultant; former U.S. Head of Public Affairs for Novartis; former Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley |
 Dave Tomasi Bayer Consumer Health – SVP of Marketing; West Point graduate & former US Army Field Artillery Officer |
Investments, Real Estate & Economic Development
 Timothy Greiner JLL, Commercial Real Estate & Investment Management Services – Executive Managing Director |
 Jose Lozano Choose New Jersey – President & CEO; led Governor Phil Murphy’s Transition Team; former Chief of Staff for Hackensack; ROI-NJ Influencers Power List 2017 & 2018 |
 Jeffrey Sica Circle Squared Alternative Investments – Founder & CEO; TV personality & frequent contributor to financial publications including WSJ, Forbes and Reuters |
Public Service Utility
David Daly
PSE&G – President & Chief Operating Officer
Science & Medicine
 Robin Leichenko, Ph.D. Rutgers University – Professor & Chair, Geography Department; Co-Director of Rutgers Climate Institute; expert in Climate Adaptation & Economic Geography |
 Donnica Moore, M.D. Women’s health educator, advocate & media commentator; host of the popular podcast, In The Ladies’ Room with Dr. Donnica |
 Donald Parker, LCSW Hackensack Meridian Health Carrier Clinic/Behavioral Health Integrative Medicine – President |
 Eric Whitman, M.D. Atlantic Health System Cancer Care – Medical Director & founding Director of Atlantic Melanoma Center |
Sports
 Tim McCarthy ESPN Radio – SVP & General Manager; acquired broadcast rights to many of New York’s favorite teams including the New York Jets, Knicks, and Rangers |
 Jim Spanarkel TV Basketball Analyst for CBS SportsMarch Madness & the Brooklyn Nets; former pro player for the Philadelphia 76ers & Dallas Mavericks; Duke University’s MVP 1977-1979 |
Arts, Music & Media
 Laurie Lico Albanese Acclaimed author of Stolen Beauty, inspired by Gustav Klimt’s iconic “golden” portrait |
 Bascove and Michael Avramides Celebrated artist whose paintings of NYC bridges are in museums around the world, with her husband, a visionary architect who has designed affordable housing in NYC |
 Jay Duckworth Props Master Designer & “Proptologist” forShakespeare in the Park and Hamilton |
 Diane Herbst Award-winning journalist for Peoplemagazine & The New York Post |
 Michael Hill NJTV News Correspondent |
 Bruce Moran Live Nation Entertainment – President, Latin America; concert promoter for famed recording artists U2, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, & Coldplay |
 John Nye Nye & Company Auctioneers – President & Principal Auctioneer; featured appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow |
 Lettie Teague Wall Street Journal Wine Columnist; author, & three-time James Beard Award recipient |
Business
 John Binder Crum & Forster – President of Commercial Lines; World Series of Poker competitor; vocalist/guitarist for punk rock bands |
 Peter Dupak JP Morgan Chase – Technical Director of Mining; avid traveler and collector of folk art from around the world |
 Joseph Jones BASF Corporation – Innovation Communications Americas; former newspaper & radio reporter |
 Izzy Martins Avis Budget Group – Chief Financial Officer, Americas |
 Maria Castañón Moats PwC–US & Mexico Assurance Leader; Led PwC to #1 on DiversityInc‘s list of “50 Best Companies to Work For” |
 Dana Peters Mondelēz International – VP USA Operations, Biscuit & Confectionary |
Culinary Arts
Nestor Bedoya
Chef Fredy’s Table Restaurant – General Manager/Owner
Entrepreneurs & Tech
Thomas Daly
Fastly – SVP of Infrastructure – building the global edge cloud platform for NY Times, Pinterest, & Alaska Airlines; co‑founder of tech start‑up, Dyn, sold to Oracle in 2016