Technology User Group (TUG) Discussions for all users at all levels via hybrid meetings (in-person and Zoom) after the regular meeting, at about 11:45 a.m. (first and fourth Tuesdays of the month).
- June 3 – Rating of the current artificial intelligence (ChatBot) systems
- June 24 – A look at NVIDIA - past, present, and future.
Timely Topics Discussion in-person and via Zoom, with participation encouraged from all in attendance. Around 11:45 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month.
- June 10 – No Timely Topics this month!
Trips Scheduled (For Old Guard members and their guests)
This group needs a chair. Any volunteers?
Walkers Group walks or hikes are once again feasible – but this group also needs a chair or coordinator. Volunteers welcome.
June Program Chair – Bob Ferguson
- June 3 – Get the Lead Out – Our speaker Mitch Erickson is retired from the Department of Homeland Security where he served as executive scientist. He is a fellow SOG member. He will speak on the use of lead and the polluting of our environment for thousands of years. Mitch will talk about lead mining, use, and exposure. He will review the efforts to remove lead from our environment over the past half-century, notably leaded gasoline, paint, and lead piping. We have improved all human’s lives and IQs, but there are still challenges ahead. [video to appear]
- June 10 – Saving Radio City Music Hall – Guest presenter Rosie Novellino-Mearns is a retired Radio City ballet dance captain and a former president of the Showpeople’s Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall. She is also an author and lyricist. Rosie will tell the story of how she organized the gargantuan effort in the spring of 1978 to save Radio City. We may be shocked by the “no good deed goes unpunished” climax of the story in which she reveals her reward for spearheading the movement to save “The Showplace of the Nation.” [video to appear]
- June 17 – World Oil and Gas Trading – Speaker Steve Villas graduated from Lehigh University with a BS degree in engineering and obtained his MBA in finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He worked his entire 45-year career in the petroleum industry, holding positions with Exxon, Standard Oil of Ohio, British Petroleum, and Hess Corp. He has experience in and will speak on chemical plant design, advertising and promotion, supply and logistics, government affairs, oil and gas trading, financial hedging, oil and gas marketing, and more current topics of interest in the world oil markets. [in-person and on Zoom – for access: [email protected]]
- June 24 – Current Challenges in Secondary Education – Our guest speaker Mike McTernan is currently teaching history at Ridge High School and is also serving as president of the Summit Common Council. He previously spent almost 30 years working in corporate finance / banking. Mike will address current issues facing secondary education, including his subjects of Global History and Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, and the challenges of second midcareer transitioning, which required him to attain his EdD from Seton Hall University. He is happy to entertain questions about these challenges as well as those concerning local government issues. Mike lives in Summit with his wife and four children. [in-person and on Zoom]
July Birthdays emcee – Rich Lander
July Program Chair – Jon Reese
- July
1
– Small Business Cybersecurity – Our speaker Greg Schwartz will address the question: What should small
businesses do to protect themselves from the growing cybersecurity
threats? They have these threats in common with larger companies, but
they may have special issues. Greg is the founder of GSIT
Group, which helps small businesses with risk mitigation. He will
describe the system infrastructure risks and challenges for small
businesses, both current and anticipated, and the tools available to
mitigate them. Particular focus will be on cybersecurity exposures and
mitigation, and the issues on the horizon. [in-person and on Zoom]
- July
8– Strategic Philanthropy: Charitable Giving If You Are Not Bill Gates – Speaker The Rev. Brooks Smith will explain how you can do your charitable giving in an
effective manner to benefit the causes you care about. Rev. Brooks
Smith is a retired pastor and currently a minister with the Presbytery
of Northeast New Jersey. He will help us by describing what might be
called the five “P”s of donation: the
Passions that drive philanthropy and the Partners, Processes, Projects,
and Pondering that produce effective, mindful giving. [in-person and on Zoom]
- July 15– To Be Announced -- [online with Zoom only]
- July
22– HomeWell Care Services for Veterans – Care at home for
seniors and others is an increasing need and can be an efficient way of
providing support. HomeWell Care Services, based in Union, NJ, is
prominent in meeting this need. Our speaker Jen Kelber is client relations manager
for HomeWell. She will describe the different types of services that
can be provided at home by HomeWell, with an emphasis on services for
veterans. [in-person and on Zoom]
- July
29– Wharton Arts Center: History and Programs – Wharton
Arts is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit performing arts
education center serving nearly 2,000 students, located in Berkeley
Heights, NJ. Our guest speaker Helen Cha-Pyo is the artistic director of Wharton Arts and
is a Julliard-trained musician, award-winning conductor, and promoter
of music arts development among youth. She will explain the history and
development of Wharton Arts and describe its programs, current breadth
and impact, future, and challenges. [in-person and on Zoom]
August Birthday Emcee: Art Mason
