An Evening On The Water
On October 19, the National Executive Service Corps gathered with friends and supporters at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club to celebrate our 13th Annual Gala. For the first time in over a year, our community joined together in person to celebrate NESC’s accomplishments, to recognize our honorees, and to enjoy each other’s company. Attendees enjoyed a performance by the Yale a cappella group, the Alley Cats; listened to an inspirational speech from the President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Stephen B. Heintz; and bid on pieces by the artists from the Matheny Arts Access Program. Thank you to all those who worked behind the scenes; this evening was truly one to remember!
“By contributing to the wellbeing of others, you are improving the wellbeing of yourself.”
Stephen B. Heintz, Featured Speaker
Stephen B. Heintz, President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, inspired guests with his keynote speech centered around the importance of civic culture. Heintz recognized
that faith in American democracy is at an all time low; however, he argued that “in our civic culture, we will find both an understanding of the nature of the challenge, the nature of this crisis and the path to the solution…This is what NESC is all about and that is why we are here.” In the U.S., civic culture is most alive in our nonprofit sector. Nonprofits have been a foundational part of American history tracing back to Benjamin Franklin and his founding of the public library and volunteer fire company. Today, nonprofits continue to address the challenges of our time with the same spirit of generosity and contribution, and Heintz notes that this is the same tradition of NESC. The services of NESC consultants impact far beyond the individual clients. NESC strengthens the capacity of Americans to work in common purpose. A common purpose is what Americans are hungry
for, and it is what can restore our faith in democracy.
Guests of Honor
Thank you to Margaret Esme Simon & David A. Weisbrod for their continued support of NESC!
Margaret is an architect and artist who has exhibited and won awards in numerous shows in Connecticut and New York. She has been active in several non-profit organizations, including the YWCA where she has served on their board for six years. Margaret also donated one of her paintings to the gala auction. In her speech, Margaret noted, “I am one of so many people who do this in our community, and it is a great honor to be given this [award]. I thank you all for all you do to give back.”
David is currently a Director of Bank of NY Mellon’s Government Securities Service Corp and is a member of the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Risk Advisory Committee. For his service in Bangladesh, David was awarded the Friends of Liberation War Honor by the country’s Prime Minister. In his speech, David explained the reason for his continuous support of NESC: “What a great mission that NESC adopts. You can take these [business] skills and apply them to the nonprofit world, and NESC has done that so brilliantly.”
Behind the Scenes
The success of the 13th Annual Gala was two years in the making, and it would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our Dinner Chairs, Sue Moretti Bodson and Mike Bodson. Mike is the President and CEO of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. (DTCC). Committed to giving back, Mike has served on the Greenwich Board of Education, the board of the Red Cross for the New
York region, and the Greenwich Alliance for Education.
Sue is no stranger to the volunteer community. Utilizing her marketing background, Sue has helped benefit local organizations within her community. Currently, she serves on the Town of Greenwich Board of Parks and Recreation and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Bruce Museum. Sue is also the Founder and President of Emboss LLC, an event, marketing and fundraising company. Thank you to Sue and Mike for putting on an amazing event!
Notes from the Board
Marv Berenblum
Vice Chairman
Our 13th annual gala was remarkable in the enthusiasm for the event even though we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. 118 people attended the gala. The financial support our attendees and sponsors provided amounted to more than one-third of our annual revenues thereby allowing us to continue to provide affordable business advisory and consulting services to our nonprofit clients. The nonprofit community is under increasing financial pressure, and as such requires our assistance more than ever in achieving more cost-effective operations.
Barbara Linder
President & CEO
We cannot thank our honorees enough for this brilliant evening. Peggy and David represent the finest tradition of giving back in service to their community. Mike and Sue have our thanks for hosting a spectacular reception and helping to make this evening sparkle. From the laughter and joy suffusing the room, it was clear that everyone was having a great time. We’re so grateful to all our patrons for their support, and we thank our honorees for their commitment to service.