No Registration Required
Open to members only, except for September 18th Open House
All Programs are In-Person
East Campus Forum Auditorium
12:15 pm – Cookies, tea and coffee
1:00 pm – Presentation
September 18th – Manresa Wilds of Norwalk CT
OPEN HOUSE! Bring a friend or two!
This 125-acre stretch of Norwalk’s waterfront has been closed to the public for nearly 75 years—a post-industrial site left by the fossil fuel industry. What is currently a contaminated, ecologically fragile and inaccessible site will soon be transformed into Manresa Wilds—a publicly accessible park with restored forests and coastal ecologies, nearly two miles of reopened breathtaking shoreline, and year-round spaces for gathering, learning, and play. Come learn about how this former power plant site will be reborn as a vibrant mosaic of revived coastal habitats. Join us to hear this amazing, ongoing story.
Alexander Muñiz is the Site and Community Coordinator for the small non-profit spearheading the restoration and redevelopment efforts at Manresa Island. Leading immersive public tours, he guides people through the industrial history and coastal landscape, allowing them to experience the site before its transformation. Alex is ecstatic to be a part of this significant project and his passion shines through when he presents what is coming next at Manresa Wilds.
September 25th – CT’s Housing Shortage – Why it Exists and What to Do About It
We address the housing shortage in Connecticut; we explore what local communities can do, and share some examples of successful programs at the state and local level.
David McCarthy has a degree from Vassar College and a Master’s degree in City Planning and Real Estate from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder and president of Heritage Housing, Inc. in South Norwalk. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate with a specialty in affordable housing. David is currently a member of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Senate Majority Leader’s Roundtable on Affordable Housing, a working group that is exploring methods to increase housing production in Connecticut.
October 2nd – Thomas Edison – Inside Edison’s Innovation Lab
Step into the birthplace of modern innovation. Join us for a view inside the Edison Memorial Tower and Museum in Menlo Park, New Jersey. This lab is where Edison secured 400 of his 1,093 U.S. patents and developed world-changing inventions, including the incandescent light bulb, the carbon button microphone and the phonograph—earning Menlo Park its enduring title as the “Birthplace of Recorded Sound.”
Chuck Perillo has led thousands of visitors through Edison’s historic lab, sharing the stories behind the inventions that shaped the modern world.
October 9th – Mayor Barbara Smith – City of Norwalk
Norwalk Mayor Barbara Smyth discusses her professional journey—spanning education, communications, and public service—reflecting a lifelong commitment to serving the community. She demonstrates that it is never too late to pursue a new path, embrace new opportunities, or make a meaningful impact in a field that matters to you. She shares her observations about what it’s like to serve as mayor.
Before her election as mayor of Norwalk in 2025, Barbara Smyth served eight years on the Common Council, including terms as Council President and Majority Leader. Before entering public service, Mayor Smyth taught in the Norwalk Public Schools. She also spent more than fifteen years in the radio industry, working both on and off the air.
October 16th – 107 Days at Sea: The Journey That Changed Everything
At 63, Jill Siegal Chalsty boarded a ship alone, grieving her husband’s death and battling cancer. What began as a voyage around the world became far more than a trip; it became a voyage of healing and reflection. Jill shares the story behind her memoir Packets of Hope, inviting participants to travel alongside her through the ports she visited, the people she met, and the reflections that transformed personal adversity into strength and global impact. She demonstrates how one person’s courage can create ripples that span continents. Participants are encouraged to read her memoir, available free at www.packetsofhope.com, before the presentation.
Jill Siegal Chalsty has devoted her life to the transformative power of education. As founder of Overcoming Obstacles, the nonprofit she launched in 1992, Jill pioneered life skills instruction that has now reached more than 180 million students worldwide. What began as a mission to help young people navigate life’s challenges evolved into a global movement for youth empowerment.
October 23rd – CT’s Best Kept Secret: The Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts
Founded in 2018, the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts is the only non-profit baccalaureate accredited college in Norwalk and one of just a few in the nation to offer a three-year Bachelor of Fine Arts. Known as NoCo, the conservatory offers programs in Musical Theatre, Acting for Stage and Screen, Commercial Dance and Musical Theatre Dance. Admissions are intentionally selective; just 16 performers are admitted per program. The award-winning faculty consists of directors, choreographers, agents and casting directors. The conservatory boasts more than 60 students and alumni who have performed on Broadway and national stages. Founder and President Danny Loftus George tells us what it takes to establish a performing arts conservatory. And expect to be delightfully entertained by a student or two!
Danny Loftus George is the co-founder and president of the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts. He was a finalist in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education List, and is the co-founder of several educational programs focused on artistic development and opportunity.
October 30th – The Evolution of the Printed Newspaper Page
How has technology reshaped the way newspapers are produced? A 50-year veteran of the newspaper technology business walks us through the advances in this area, from the 1960’s to the current day. Also included are artifacts collected over many years—fonts from each technology generation, printing plates, old keyboards, typeset film and full photographic pages at each stage of the process.
Bob Rosenthal holds a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science. He was the software architect and lead programmer for a text-editing and typesetting system, used in over 200 newspapers. He later became an independent consultant, assisting his newspaper clients to keep up with the everchanging technology landscape. In that capacity, for nearly 30 years his primary client was Dow Jones & Company, where he was deeply involved in the production of The Wall Street Journal and Barrons Magazine, and later, The New York Post.