The Darien Community Association (DCA) is offering two bridge classes starting in September:
— an announcement from the DCA
Bridge 1 Class
This class will be beginning bridge instruction for those new to the game. No previous experience needed. Instructor: Joan Bergen
In keeping with current protocols in the bridge community, the instructor will require proof of COVID vaccination from all class enrollees. Bridge 1 classes will be held on six Thursdays: Sept. 9, 16, 30 and Oct.
The Darien Community Association invites the public to the organization’s Annual Meeting at 10 a.m., Thursday, May 20, to hear David Genovese, founder of Baywater Properties, discuss “The Transformation of Downtown Darien, a Look into the Future. ”
— an announcement from the DCA
This will be a virtual event. Registrants will receive an email with an access link the day before the event. David Genovese and his partner, Penny Glassmeyer, have developed several of
Darien’s now iconic properties, including Grove Street Plaza and 1020 Boston Post
Road, among others. After nearly 16 years of effort acquiring and assembling a total of over seven acres in downtown, and working with Darien’s boards and commissions in achieving zoning approvals, Baywater’s next project, The Corbin District, is about to begin construction.
Darien Community Association’s “Darien Neighbors, Global Players” speaker series returns for a fourth year on April 28 with three online events, in partnership with DAF Media. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Jad Finck
On Wednesday, April 28, at 7 p.m., Jad Finck, vice president of innovation and sustainability for Allbirds, will discuss “innovating Better Things in a Better Way” with Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone Apparel Inc.
Allbirds is well-known for its ultra-comfy merino wool runners. As one of their first employees, Jad Finck leads the development of the company’s major footwear and apparel innovations, including its eucalyptus fiber tree fabric and SweetFoam, a Time magaine Best Invention of the Year. A graduate of Darien High School, Stanford University and the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, Jad is excited to “return home.”
Tickets for this event, or for the series, must be purchased by 3 p.m., April 28. Chase Carey and Mark Waller
On Thursday, May 13, at 7 p.m., Chase Carey, chairman of Formula 1, and Mark Waller, chief commercial officer of McLaren Racing, will talk with ESPN broadcaster Jay Alter.
Darien Community Association’s Information and Inspiration Virtual Presentations will feature “Navigating Start-Ups, Childhood Cancer and a Pandemic” with Ami-Lynn Bakshi. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Information and Inspiration presentations are virtual gatherings open to all to elevate your knowledge and broaden your intelligence, while also providing an opportunity to connect with others. The Darien Community Association has partnered with authors, business entrepreneurs, and specialists on travel, culture, and the arts. This online event takes place at 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 6. About Ami-Lynn Bakshi
Bakshi is co-founder, president and chief operating officer of Cafe Agave, Inc. and Partner in Sono 1420 American Craft Distillers.
Jeff Immelt, the former CEO of General Electric, will speak at an event organized by the Darien Community Association and Barrett Bookstore on Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. for an online presentation. Immelt will have a public discussion with Peter Maglathlin of Darien, the chairman and CEO of MBI Inc. in Norwalk. — an announcement from the DCA and Barrett Bookstore
Immelt was named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s, and he will share the hard-won lessons he learned from his experience leading GE immediately after 9/11, through the economic devastation of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and into an increasingly globalized world. In his new memoir Hot Seat, Immelt offers a rigorous, candid interrogation of himself and his tenure, detailing for the first time his proudest moments and his biggest mistakes. As the business world continues to be rocked by stunning economic upheaval, Hot Seat is an urgently needed, and unusually raw, source of authoritative guidance for decisive leadership in uncertain times.
Architect James von Klemperer, a longtime Darien resident who designed the recently completed Midtown Manhattan’s tallest office building, One Vanderbilt, will discuss that project as well as the 1720 Darien farmhouse where he lives. His online talk, “From Farmhouse to High Rise,” will be presented as part of Darien Community Association’s “New Information and Inspiration Virtual Presentations” at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
One Vanderbilt is the first thing encountered by many Darien commuters as they emerge from Grand Central Terminal. There, a steel frame and concrete core support a much larger structure, which rises to 1,401 feet.
It’s said that a cup of tea makes everything better. In this spirit, caterer Carolyn Eddie and her fabulous supporting cast return to the Darien Community Association, offering their unique brand of comfort and relaxation! — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Participants may choose to attend in-person at the DCA, following established safety protocols (masks, distanced tables, gathering size limits). If the weather allows, we will also offer outdoor seating in our beautiful formal garden. Or, order to-go, and DCA staff/volunteers will personally deliver a box of the same tea sandwiches, assorted scones with jam and clotted cream, and a selection of treats to your residence.
The DCA Thrift Shop is having a grand reopening, with a new makeover, on Tuesday, August 25. The new shop hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Donations at the DCA Thrift Shop will only be received if you sign up for one of the days and times using the link below starting Monday, August 24. No donations will be accepted without an appointment. Please click here to sign up for a day and time. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing during drop-off.
The next topic for the Darien Community Association’s virtual summer book group is a discussion on July 29 of Elliot Ackerman’s “Waiting for Eden.” From the DCA announcement:
Part mystery, part thriller, part unconventional love story, this novel explores with gravity and sensitivity the profound questions of love and fidelity, duty and honor, and how one creates a life worth living. This short book is less than 200 pages. On Wednesday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. a certified bioethicist will co-moderate with Esther Bushell, and offer her perspective about the issues raised. Bushell taught English at Greenwich High School, and when she retired in 2003, she created Literary Matters and began a second career as a book group facilitator.
Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass discuss his new book “The World: A Brief Introduction” in an online book talk presented by Barrett Bookstore and the Darien Community Association. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Haass will talk about his new book with with fellow author and Council on Foreign Relations member Kevin Peraino. The $25 event starts at 7:30 p.m., June 4. Now more than ever, we know that many of our biggest challenges come from the world beyond our borders. Haass, a former senior Middle East advisor to President George H. W. Bush, draws from his extensive experience as a diplomat and policymaker to present a primer on international relations.
In response to current restrictions, this year’s DCA Plant Sale, run by the DCA Greenhouse Group, will be an on-line shopping experience. This year’s sale should especially appeal to many in town who are currently enjoying extended time in their gardens, allowing themselves the opportunity to take on new planting projects. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Some 2,000 hardy perennials have been nurtured and grown (many from seed) in the DCA’s historic greenhouse. The plants available this year cater to all gardening needs, such as sun-loving, shade-loving, ground cover, deer resistant and, of particular note, an expanded range of native/pollinator offerings. Annual plants complete the range of plants, with several good options for planters and containers.
The latest “Darien Neighbors, Global Players” speaker series includes SE Cupp, a commentator with a show on CNN; Steve Mandel, the founder of the Lone Pine Capital Investing hedge fund; and Ian Murray, founder and CEO of Vineyard Vines. The three-lecture series starts on March 31 and concludes on April 28 at the Darien Community Association. Tickets are on sale now. — an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Darien Community Association’s executive speaker series highly-acclaimed series returns with leaders and innovators who call (or have called) Darien their home. You may know them as friends and neighbors — but they are also some of the most successful leaders and innovators in their respective fields.
Susan Thornton of the Yale Law School will deliver the final lecture of this year’s Darien Community Association 2020 Academic Lecture Series on Global Issues, ”China’s Global Reach,” at 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 3. She will speak about “China – U.S. Relations.” Before the lecture guests are cordially invited to a wine reception starting at 7:30 p.m.
Currently Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale, Thornton also serves as Senior Fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center. In 2018 she retired from the State Department after a 28-year diplomatic career focused primarily on East and Central Asia. In leadership roles in Washington, she has worked on China and Korea policy, including stabilizing relations with Taiwan, the U.S.-China Cyber Agreement and the Paris Climate Accord.
Laura Thoren Podesta, a 2006 Darien High School graduate and now a CBS News correspondent, will speak at the next Darien Community Association Women’s Luncheon. The title of her talk: “Embracing Rejection — Lessons on the word ‘No.’”
— an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Podesta will discuss how rejections from colleges, certain promotions, jobs, and even day-to-day obstacles ended up helping her career. Laura will talk about how – at face value – rejection can sting, but it can also help you get to where you want to go faster. If You’re Going … The luncheon starts at 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb.
The fourth speaker in the Darien Community Association Academic Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 30 will be Neysun Manhboubi, whose topic will be “China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Paving the Way to a New Global Order?”
— an announcement from the Darien Community Association
As a Research Scholar for Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania, his primary interests are in administrative law, contemporary law, and
Chinese law. He hosts the podcast for UPenn CSCC which includes conversations on Chinese politics, economy, law, and society with faculty, visitors and guest speakers. Prior to coming to the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Mahboubi was a trial attorney for the Federal Program Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, a law clerk for Justice Douglas P. Woodlock of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and taught at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, University of Connecticut School of Law, and at Yale Law School. He has also taught and done research at the Peking University of Law.
