Dr. Bryan Luizzi

New Canaan High School Class of 2014 Graduates [VIDEO]

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Recently graduated from the University of Chicago, carrying a degree in English and philosophy and grand ideas of what lay ahead, a 22-year-old Robert Darken took a position in the mid-1990s with an international relief agency operating an emergency winter food distribution program halfway around the world, in Azerbaijan. Eager to travel and write though with little thought given to what skills he actually possessed, Darken in his romantic vision for what this experience would be played a major, central role in solving enormous problems of want and hunger. Yet as his plane descended into the Azerbaijani capital, a thought—uncomfortably clear in its truth—occurred to the young man. “We emerged from cloud cover, and suddenly a million yellow lights spread out below,” Darken recalled early Tuesday evening as he addressed the 2014 graduating class of New Canaan High School and their hundreds of families and friends as commencement speaker at Dunning Field. “What had been nothing more to me than a blank spot on a map was being filled in beneath my feet.

Bunny Potts

Board of Ed Recognizes Two New Canaan High School Seniors, 13 Retiring Educators

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The Board of Education on Monday honored two graduating New Canaan High School seniors and 13 educators who are retiring after this academic year. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Kolek (who is herself retiring and earned kind words from Board Chair Hazel Hobbs during the meeting, held in the high school’s Wagner Room), spoke for a few minutes about both seniors who received Student Leadership Awards from the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education or “CABE,” as well as the teachers and administrators soon to retire. Here’s a snippet from Kolek on each honoree. Students

(CABE each year recognizes two students for distinguished leadership in school activities and daily lives, “And I have the pleasure of presenting those awards tonight,” Kolek said.)

New Canaan High School senior Kit Mallozzi (also a NCHS Students Advocates Award winner, headed to Syracuse University in the fall): “One has only to talk to Kit for a few minutes and it’s clear, she’s one of the world’s great optimists. Her nomination submission portrays Kit as someone who embraces life, a friend to all and a ray of sunshine.

Around Town

Q&A: Talking to New Canaan Library about Sunday’s Talk with David Jaffe

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New Canaan Library’s “Conversations with Business Leaders” series connects New Canaanites who lead large companies, with fellow residents, for a talk, question-and-answer session and gathering. New Canaan’s Hazel Hobbs, who chairs a committee that finds speakers for the series, said the general idea is for these prominent community members to talk about their business experiences. Past speakers include Chase Carey (News Corporation) Jeffrey Immedlt (GE) and guest speakers George Bodenheimer (Disney Media Networks and ESPN) and David Calhoun (The Nielsen Company). At 5 p.m. on Sunday, the library is presenting New Canaan resident David Jaffe, whose rise in retail from within Dress Barn 22 years ago (he became CEO 10 years in) to his current position as president and CEO of parent company Ascena Retail Group Inc.—a specialty retailer of apparel for women and tween girls that does $5 billion annual in sales and has nearly 4,000 stores in the United States and Canada—is an inspirational story, said library Director Lisa Oldham. A father of four in town who serves as a trustee on the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, among other interests, Jaffe’s background includes business degrees from Wharton (go Quakers) and Stanford, Chemical Venture Partners and Merrrill Lynch.

News

BOE Chair on Retiring Superintendent: ‘Leader, Visionary, Motivator’

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New Canaan Board of Education Chair Hazel Hobbs issued this statement following Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Kolek’s decision to retire effective June 30, 2014. Kolek made her decision public on Tuesday. “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Mary Kolek for her ten years leading the district’s efforts to create a 21st Century educational program that prepares our students to be scholars, leaders, and global citizens. While she has been Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent here, New Canaan has benefitted from Dr. Kolek’s keen intellect, high energy level, strong commitment, and deep knowledge of the field of education. She is a leader, visionary, motivator, and accomplished professional.