Fairfield County Good Things Happening, 4.6.2015

Bruce exhibit explores little-known world

Greenwich”™s Bruce Museum features a new exhibition titled “Madagascar: Ghosts of the Past,” a glimpse into Madagascar”™s unique animal population, April 11-Nov. 8, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. As the first show led by Daniel Ksepka, the museum”™s new curator of science, the exhibition features casts of dinosaurs, herbivore crocodiles, giant lemurs, pygmy hippos and an elephant bird.

Colonial Subaru ”˜Shares the Love”™ with Ability Beyond

Danbury-based Colonial Subaru, part of Colonial Automobile Group, donated $45,000 to Bethel-based Ability Beyond, a nonprofit providing assistance to individuals with disabilities in Connecticut and New York, for its “Share the Love” event.

Colonial Subaru ranked 10 out of 623 Subaru dealerships nationwide for the amount of money raised for their designated charity. Ability Beyond was one of five organizations that customers could choose to direct a $250 donation from Subaru when purchasing a car during a five-week event.

In its seventh year, “Share the Love” has raised nearly $50 million for selected national nonprofits.

WBC”™s ”˜Extraordinary Women”™ lineup

The Women”™s Business Council (WBC), an arm of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, announced the lineup for its fifth annual “Conversations with Extraordinary Women,” April 23, 5-8 p.m., Matrix Conference & Banquet Center, Danbury. This year”™s event features Teresa Younger, president and CEO, Ms. Foundation for Women; Missy Chase Lapine, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Sneaky Chef Foods; Amy Kundrat, executive editor of CTbites; and Vanessa Abrahams-John, director of global diversity and inclusion at Praxair.

For more information, visit conversations2015.eventbrite.com.

SBA Connecticut announces small-business awardees

The U.S. Small Business Administration”™s Connecticut district office, the Small Business Development Center and Connecticut Small Business/Key to the Future announced their 10 awardees for small-business week. The winners include: Chapco, Kim Wawrzynowicz, Turbine Technologies Inc., Great Strides LLC, Bikram Yoga, Perk on Main LLC, Fascia”™s Chocolates, Delfau Tax & Financial Services, The SEED Center and Howard H. Hill Funeral Services. Award winners will be recognized at the Connecticut Small Business Week celebration, Wed., May 6, Infinity Music Hall & Theatre, Hartford. For more information, call 860-240-4654.

People”™s United Bank promotes McCoy

Bridgeport-based People”™s United Bank promoted Joseph McCoy to senior vice president, region manager, middle market commercial lending, Westchester/Hudson Valley. McCoy”™s responsibilities include lending to mid-sized corporations with revenues ranging from $10 million-$500 million in New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Greenwich United Way Sole Sisters”™ luncheon

The Greenwich United Way Sole Sisters, a women”™s initiative to help meet the needs of those who are employed but financially struggling, is celebrating its 10th anniversary at its annual spring luncheon and fashion accessories boutique, Thurs., April 23, Greenwich Country Club. The boutique opens 10 a.m. and is featuring 18 vendors selling merchandise.

The keynote speaker includes Lisa Baird of Old Greenwich, chief marketing officer of the United States Olympic Committee. The luncheon co-chairwomen include Diane Viton and Jill Weiner and the Sole Sisters”™ chairwomen are Maxine Armstrong, Keri Cameron and Lisa Lori.

Commonfund names Barone CFO

Wilton-based Commonfund, an investment manager for institutional investors, appointed Celeste R. Barone CFO for its subsidiary, Commonfund Capital Inc. Barone”™s responsibilities include leading the accounting team and directing financial management. Barone is replacing Linda Costa who is retiring, but remaining as treasurer through early summer. In July, Barone will hold both CFO and treasurer titles.

Gallantly streaming, long before the Internet

Marc Ferris of Greenwich published “Star Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America”™s National Anthem,” John Hopkins University Press, an in-depth narrative history of the 200-year-old song. The book is available for $24.95 at jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu.

Olvany joins CBRE Group

CBRE Group, a commercial real estate services and investment firm, appointed Stephen Olvany as vice president of the company”™s valuation and advisory services group, Westchester/Fairfield operations in the Stamford office. Olvany”™s responsibilities include providing clients superior valuation services for commercial office and residential single assets and portfolio assignments in the Westchester County and mid-Hudson Valley markets. He most recently served as senior director of valuation and advisory services for Cushman & Wakefield, where he worked for 27 years.

Coldwell Banker honors top sales associate

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y., congratulated Tamar Lurie of Greenwich as the top sales associate among the company”™s more than 2,200 sales associates throughout the region. Lurie was distinguished as top sales associate for sales volume in Greenwich with nearly $100 million in closed sales volume in 2014. She will be presented with the society of excellence award by NRT, the parent company of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, May 4, Hyatt Regency in Greenwich.

HealthPrize adds to its board

Norwalk-based HealthPrize Technologies, a medication adherence and digital patient engagement company, appointed Dieter Weinand and Dawn Owens to its board of directors.

Weinand, president and CEO of Bayer Pharma AG, serves as a member of Bayer HealthCare”™s executive committee and director of its pharmaceutical division. He has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience.

Owens, former CEO of OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth Group company, is a partner with Triple Tree LLC and serves on the boards of Grove City College and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

UConn HuskyTHON raises $560,000

Storrs-based University of Connecticut students participated in an 18-hour dance marathon to raise $560,104 for Connecticut Children”™s Medical Center as part of HuskyTHON, a philanthropic event at the school. During the marathon, students interacted with more than 40 patients and families from Connecticut Children”™s, who attended the event in support of the participants.

Garfunkel joins Lockwood-Mathews board

Norwalk-based Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum appointed Andy Garfunkel to its board of trustees. Garfunkel is a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and works for William Raveis Real Estate. He most previously served as Norwalk”™s town clerk, where he received more than $50,000 in state grant funds for the preservation of city records and the acquisition of new technologies for the town clerk”™s office.

Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.