Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Trailblazers

Guests at Susan Gutfreund's apartment for “Trailblazers in Neuroscience” by physicians from the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain & Spine Center.

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy 2016 Dinner Gala was held on Wednesday October 19th 2016 at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. The annual event was hosted by Greg Kelly, co-host of Good Day New York, and raised over $375,000.

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy honored:
• Daniel Rose – Chairman, Rose Associates with the Business Leadership Award.
• James D. Wolfensohn – Former President, World Bank Group, and Founder of Wolfensohn & Co., LLC, with the George F. Kennan Award for Public Service.
• Jo Carole Lauder – Chairman, Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies with the Award for Excellence in Cultural Diplomacy and International Engagement.

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy 2016 Gala Dinner

The (NCAFP) was founded in 1974 by Professor Hans J. Morgenthau and others. It is a nonprofit policy organization dedicated to the resolution of conflicts that threaten U.S. interests. Toward that end, the NCAFP identifies, articulates, and helps advance American foreign policy interests from a nonpartisan perspective within the framework of political realism.

Ambassador Donald Blinken and Daniel Rose

Barbara Winston and Raghida Dergham

Bob Colacello and Ellen Phelan

Edythe Holbrook, Donald Rice, and Grace Kennan Warnecke

Greg Kelly and Ray Kelly

Eugene and Avis Robinson

James Wolfensohn, Greg Kelly, and Henry Kissinger

Leonard Lauder and Jo Carole Lauder

Rosemary DiCarlo and Dr. George Schwab

Petra Dunne, Dr. George Schwab, and Edythe Holbrook

Ronald Lauder, Daniel Rose, and Jo Carole Lauder

Masako Takahashi and Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi

Sheila Johnson Robbins and Leonard Lauder

Lydia Muniz and Joel Shapiro

John Connorton Jr. and Warren Hoge

This was a special evening. If it were literature, it would be even more special. The press release read:

Mrs. Susan Gutfreund graciously hosted a private presentation in her well-known Fifth Avenue apartment of “Trailblazers in Neuroscience” by physicians from the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain & Spine Center. (Mr. Gutfreund had been a patient there.) The Neurosurgery team headed up by Dr. Philip Stieg walked guests through some of the most amazing new technologies from the operating room.

This was last Thursday evening from 6 to 8. Guests included Harvey Keitel, Nancy Jarecki, Amanda Burden, Suzanne Lehman, Elizabeth Kabler, Audrey and Martin Gruss, Jill Sutton Costas, Barbara Portman and many others. Guests were gifted by the doctors with an intimate operatic aria by Karen Driscoll.

Dr. Theodore Schwartz, Christy Ferer, Susan Gutfreund, Dr. Philip Stieg, and Dr. Y. Pierre Gobin

Any party, any time, given by Susan Gutfreund would be special on many levels. In terms of place: her apartment where she has lived for the past twenty-five years with her late husband John, is now on the market for a reported $96 million. It’s the closest to Paris that an American on Fifth Avenue will ever get. The other side of this picture is the hostess who is a true auto-didact and her whole life reflects it. I like her. You can tell. She’s very good at learning.

This evening, ‘’Trailblazers in Neuroscience,” was billed as an “update from medical leaders who are creating promising solutions for today’s most challenging brain and spine diseases.”

Dr. Mark Souweidane

Dr. Y. Pierre Gobin

Dr. Michael Kaplitt

So they came if only because who doesn’t like a good cocktail party in a pleasant environment these days. And Susan is an easy, impeccable hostess providing adequate and excellent libations and hors d’oeuvres not to mention a great variety of people very comfortable in a spectacular setting overlooking Central Park. It sounds like an exaggeration. The good news is: it’s not.

The evening was actually hosted by Dr. Philip Stieg, Chairman, Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. (i.e. the brain and spine center at NY-Pres)

The doctors who were present were Dr. Michael Kaplitt, Dr. Mark Souweidane, Dr. Roger Hartl, Dr. Theodore Schwartz, Dr. Y. Pierre Gobin, Dr. Eric Elowitz, Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, Dr. Jared Knopman.

Amanda Burden

Jill Sutton

Catherine Bryan, Dr. Philip Stieg, and Nancy Jarecki

Audrey Gruss, Chip Fisher, and Louisa Benton

Tobey Roosevelt

Kathy Mele

Dr. Roger Hartl, Daphna Kastner, and Harvey Keitel

Rachel Yanowitch, Suzanne Lehman, and Skye Lehman

Stacey Morse, Susan Waterfall, and Lucy Lamphere

Franklin Berger

Christophe Larroque

Susan Gutfreundand Franklin Berger

Licia Hahn, Susan Gutfreund, and Steve Clement

Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, Dr. Caitlin Hoffman, and Dr. Mark Souweidane

Christy Ferer

Dr. Sam Kim

Dr. Eric Elowitz, Dr. Philip Stieg, and Susan Gutfreund

Julie Geier, Suzanne Lehman, Phil Geier, and Susan Waterfall

Karen Driscoll and Steve Clement

Suzanne Lehman and Jayne Wallace

Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield

Byron Wien

Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian hosted the 34th Annual Women's Health Symposium Luncheon on Wednesday, October 19, at The Citigroup Executive Conference Center. All proceeds from the event, chaired by Joan Weill and Dr. Orli Etingin, director of the Iris Cantor Women's Health Center, benefitted the center.

Concussions have gained the attention of parents across the country, and Alzheimer's disease is a looming threat that weighs on the minds of many across the country as Americans are living longer. But what do we know about these two neurological conditions? How can parents protect their kids playing sports? Can you prevent Alzheimer's? How can we protect our brains throughout our lives? All of these questions and more were addressed during the Symposium, moderated by Dr. Orli Etingin.

Women's Health Symposium Executive Steering Committee

Dr. Kosofsky and Dr. Petsko gave a dynamic presentation on how to identify, treat and prevent concussions in children; help bridge the connection between traumatic brain injuries, aging and Alzheimer's disease; and discuss how research is beginning to reveal clues about other risk factors we may be able to influence through lifestyle choices and effective management of other health conditions. Dr. Etingin joined Dr. Kosofsky and Dr. Petsko for a Q-and-A afer the presentation.

Iris Cantor, Dr. Barry Kosofsky, and Joan Weill

Clara Del Villar and Barbara Pearlman (committee members)

Nan Swid and Jill Rosen

Diana Goldin, Phyllis Klein, and Missie Rennie Taylor (committee members)

Joan and Sandy Weill with Lori Freedman (committee member)

Renée Belfer and Lynne Manning (committee member)

Joan Weill (co-chair) and Sandra Meyer (committee member)

Symposium speaker Gregory Petsko, Joan Weill (co-chair), Dr. Orli Etingin (co-chair), and symposium speaker Dr. Barry Kosofsky

Randy Fishman and Peggy Wolff

Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to the research and education of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, held its second annual “Uniting for a Lyme-Free World” Gala, which raised nearly $3 million. The funding will assist GLA in its mission to conquer Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

The October 13th gala, attended by more than 700 supporters at Cipriani 42nd Street, honored Bella Hadid, International Supermodel, Heather Glass, Designer and Retail Executive, Arthur J. Mirante II, Principal and Tri-State President of Avison Young, and Karen Peetz, President of BNY Mellon for their active roles in driving awareness of Lyme disease and their commitment to finding a more accurate diagnostic test. Rosanna Scotto, co-anchor of FOX 5 Good Day New York, hosted the event.

Event planner Lawrence Scott donated and designed the decor for the event, which featured a mix of elegant silver tablecloths and black patent leather tablecloths, matched with silver lamps acting as table centerpieces, surrounded by fresh flowers. Scott is equally known for producing spectacular one-of-a-kind events as he is for his philanthropic endeavors. With a long standing commitment to the community and decades of support for charity, Scott is viewed just as much as a philanthropist as he is a legendary events planner. He donates events services to over 30 charities annually – the Global Lyme Alliance being one of them.

“This year’s gala represents a tremendous step forward for us, and we’re excited to build on this momentum as we continue working to conquer Lyme disease,” said GLA CEO Scott Santarella. “We are truly grateful to have had such tremendous support this year. From our honorees, to our co-chairs, donors, and everyone else who played a role in making this event successful, we are so thankful."

Heather Glass, Scott Santarella, and Karen Peetz

Evander Holyfield Jr. and Marcela Navarrete

Co-Chairs for the event were Carlos Brito and Sabine Chalmers, Anheuser-Busch InBev; Christopher Corrinet, CBRE; Matthew Glass, Texby Associates, Inc.; Yolanda Hadid, Actress & TV star; Ally Hilfiger, Advocate & Fashion Designer; Dee & Tommy Hilfiger; Mitti Liebersohn and Anthony Lopresti, Avison Young; Brian Ruane, BNY Mellon; Andrew Saunders, Saunders & Associates; Larry Scott, Lawrence Scott Events.

The ceremony was followed by special performances from musical guests, including Grammy award winning artist, Rob Thomas, and New York City-based trio, ThirdStory.

The Gala was also attended by Mohamed Hadid, Lew Leone, Klaus Kleinfeld, Marisol Thomas, Peter Brant, Jr., Ping Hue, Evander Holyfield, Jr., and many others.

Rob Kobre, Yolanda Hadid, Bella Hadid, Larry Scott, and Scott Santarella

Everyone is susceptible to Lyme and is just one tick bite away from contracting the disease. Cases of Lyme have been reported in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, making it a health crisis with worldwide impact. Additionally, current diagnostic tests for Lyme disease are inaccurate in more than fifty percent of Lyme patients, leading to both failed and misdiagnoses.

The number of cases reported annually has increased nearly 25-fold since national surveillance began in 1982. 329,000 people in the United States alone contract Lyme disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alexa Reyen

Ally Hilfiger

Ping Hue Cheung

Rosanna Scotto

Yolanda Hadid, Bella Hadid, and Mohamed Hadid

Lauren Corrinet and Chris Corrinet

Rob Kobre and Diane Blanchard

Elaine Wynn, the much-loved philanthropist and arts and education advocate, joined forces with Hudson Grace, the purveyor of all things stylish for entertaining, for a drinks party to celebrate the publication of Steven Stolman’s “The Serial Entertainer’s Passion for Parties.” Proceeds from the evening benefitted Communities in Schools Los Angeles, the local affiliate of one of the nation’s largest dropout prevention organizations.

There, Hudson Grace’s creators Monelle Totah and Gary McNatton, Elaine Wynn’s daughter Kevyn Wynn with her children Zoe, Jonas and Lukas, One King’s Lane’s Susan Feldman, William Morris’s David Lubliner and his wife Stacey, CIS/LA’s executive director Deborah Marcus, JP Morgan’s Alex Cox, Becky and Daniel Roberts and jewelry designer Lynn Nubarian.

The second book in “The Serial Entertainer” series (Gibbs-Smith), “Passion for Parties” chronicles the scores of distinguished events that Stolman has had a creative hand in over the years, almost exclusively as a volunteer, accompanied by charming stories and helpful takeaways that can easily be applied to any entertaining scenario, large or small.

For more information about Communities in Schools, visit http://cislosangeles.org/