Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Jack Mitchell is chairman of the Mitchell Stores (Mitchells/Richards/Wilkes/Marios), a three-generation family business that operates men’s and women’s specialty stores in Connecticut, New York, California, Washington, and Oregon that are nationally renowned for their personal service touches and strong relationships. Jack himself has been recognized as one of the top 10 retail visionaries of his time by the Women’s Wear Daily. In 2003, Jack Mitchell launched a “second career” as a speaker and author. His first book, "Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results," was a Wall Street Journal best-seller and received rave reviews in The New York Times. In addition, it was endorsed by Warren Buffet on the cover with the following quote: “It’s a gem. I wish everyone at Berkshire would follow his advice – we would own the world.” In April, 2015, a revised and updated version of "Hug Your Customers" was released. In 2008, Jack published his second book, "Hug Your People: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees to Achieve Remarkable Results," where he illustrates a business blueprint to personalize relationships to drive success and achieve greater satisfaction at work. In 2018, Jack published his third book, "Selling the Hug Your Customers Way: The Proven Process for Becoming a Passionate and Successful Salesperson for Life," which illustrates how to apply the proven principles of Hug Your Customers to refine selling techniques, boost sales, and keep customers coming back for more. Jack has become known as a passionate enthusiastic public speaker, keynoting at more than 200 events for corporations including Merrill Lynch, Pitney Bowes, Nike, Starbucks, and Harvard University, addressing audiences of all sizes and reaching more than 50,000 people globally. Jack has been quoted in national magazines as a customer service and management leadership expert. Jack also offers hugging workshops for corporations

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Samantha is the editor-in-chief of Westport, Weston & Wilton Magazine; founder of the content, marketing, and branding firm, Samantha Yanks Creative; and co-founder of The Connecticut Edit, a digital platform for Fairfield and Litchfield County’s buzziest restaurants, newest openings, upcoming events, noteworthy creators, favorite shops, and the platform’s philanthropic partnerships. Formerly the longtime editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury’s Hamptons and Gotham magazines, Yanks honed her skills in fashion as senior accessories editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, and accessories editor at Vogue. Samantha is also an on-air personality on numerous television segments discussing luxury lifestyle, fashion, and beauty. She has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox, Bloomberg, News 12 Connecticut, and the Martha Stewart and Howard Stern show on SiriusXMSatelliteRadio. Today, Samantha focuses on mentoring talent in the media space, sitting on the advisory boards of content startups and giving back to the community. With a focus on nonprofits in Connecticut, Yanks is working with Connecticut Children’s, Filling in the Blanks, BCRF, 1st Serve Bridgeport, Connecticut Foodshare, and Clothes to Kids of Fairfield County. A graduate of Tulane University, Samantha lives in Westport with her husband, daughter, and yellow lab, Wonton.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Lisa Wexler is a versatile and talented woman. Lisa hosts a daily talk radio show right here on WICC, every weekday from 10 am to 12 pm. She is also the probate judge of the Westport/Weston District, having been elected four times, both as a Republican and as a Democrat. In 2006, Lisa created her own radio show, The Lisa Wexler Show, which quickly gained an audience. In 2022, Lisa won five Connecticut Press Awards, as well as receiving First Place from the National Women’s Press Association for the Best Radio Interview. Lisa also won the Gracie Award, the highest honor for women in television and radio, for her interview with Gloria Steinem. She is the recipient of many CT Press Awards, Best of Gold Coast, and Best of Westchester Awards and “Reader’s Choice” Awards from Westport Life & Style magazine. The show has been on the air continuously since September 30, 2006, on various stations throughout Connecticut and Metro New York. Since 2019, the show is exclusively broadcast on WICC. The slogan is “If You’re Thinking About It, Lisa’s Talking About It”. Lisa has practiced law for over 40 years, having graduated Johns Hopkins University with honors and the New York University School of Law, where she won the prestigious American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law. She practiced law on Wall Street and then hung out a shingle in Westport. Active in Westport, Lisa served on both the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals and its Planning and Zoning Commission. Lisa is also a mediator, serving pro bono to resolve disputes in Probate Courts in Connecticut other than her own. In 2013, Lisa created the Acorda Scientific Excellence Award radio program, which conducted weekly interviews with Westchester and Fairfield County high school students engaged in independent scientific research in STEM areas. The show aired until 2019 and is archived on lisawexler.com. Lisa is also the author of Secrets of Jewish Mother, with her mother, Gloria Kamen and her sister, RHONY Jill Zarin. Published in English by Penguin/Dutton, the award-winning book was later translated into Chinese, Russian and Japanese. During the book tour, Lisa appeared on Today, Morning Show, Fox and Friends, CBS Early Show, Imus, and many others. Lisa is a frequent commentator on the news. She appeared on FOXTv in Hartford in a segment entitled “WEXing Poetic” for over a year, and has written op-ed pieces for the Hartford Courant, the Connecticut Post, as well as regular columns for other publications. Lisa is a frequent contributor to News12 Connecticut. Lisa’s passion is to speak for those who cannot speak up for themselves. Lisa is on the advisory board for Jane Doe No More, a Connecticut nonprofit whose mission is to erase the stigma of sexual assault. She serves on the board of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, and successfully lobbied in CT for newborn screening for primary immunodeficiency disease. Lisa co-founded Women in Power CT, which held seminars for women looking to change their careers. Lisa was appointed by the Connecticut legislature to the Juvenile Justice Oversight Commission, tasked with overhauling the juvenile justice system. In 2019, Lisa was named a News12 “Hometown Hero” for her devotion to WASA, the Westport Animal Shelter. Lisa has been married to Bill Wexler for 41 years and is a resident of Westport. They have three children, Jonathan, Joanna, and Yotam, who is married to Joanna. Lisa and Bill share their home with their beloved bichons, Shaina and Yofi.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Alisyn Camerota is a journalist, author, anchor, and correspondent for CNN. In her three decades in journalism, Camerota has covered stories nationally and internationally, earning two Emmy Awards and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award. Her debut novel, "Amanda Wakes Up," was selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2017, and by Oprah Magazine as “a must read.” CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota’s memoir Combat Love is her story of growing up longing for stability and attachment as the foundation of her family crumbled. Set on the Jersey Shore in the free-range 1980s, Camerota finds the belonging she craves courtesy of a local punk rock band named Shrapnel and their diehard fans. Combat Love chronicles her near-misses and misadventures at clubs like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, coupled with the sex, drugs, and punk rock of 1980s New Jersey. By the time she leaves home at 16, it feels like home had left her long ago. Combat Love is also the story of two women, mother and daughter, trying to forge their own paths and independence, and find their own happiness, success, and wholeness. Camerota’s story searches for the line between shelter and risk, nurture and neglect, parenting and personal freedom. What are we willing to sacrifice for self-actualization and happiness? What if the answer is your mother, or your daughter? The two-time Emmy Award-winning Camerota retraces her steps down an often gritty path toward her dream of becoming a journalist. At times heartbreaking and pulse-pounding, Combat Love is an inspiration for anyone who’s ever searched for that elusive place called home.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Markus Marty has spent his career in hospitality and creative production in film. In 2008, he moved to New York after studying international hospitality management at L’Ecole Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. As part of the original launch team at the Standard Hotel in New York’s meatpacking district, Markus held numerous marketing roles, incorporating content creation and filmmaking, which became one of the brand’s signatures. In 2015, Markus launched his filmmaking and production company make it nice, developing short films, videos, and other creative content for clients across hospitality, sports, beauty, and fashion. (www.makeitnice.com) An athlete who continues to seek new challenges, Markus spends much of his free time participating in sporting events and physical activities, including the NYC marathon and 150-mile bike rides from Manhattan to Montauk. In addition, Markus has participated in numerous open water competitions across the globe including the 28.5-mile “Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.” In 2018, Markus and his wife, Stacey had their first child while living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Markus and his family escaped to Westport during COVID in September 2020 and fell in love with the community and its beaches and decided to stay to raise their family (Miles, 5, Ellis, 3 and Selma, 4 months). Markus met the Compo Beach open water swim group when he first moved to Westport and to this day, can be found swimming in the Long Island Sound, even on these cold winter days. Bike Westport: Growing up in Europe and then NYC, Markus’ primary mode of transportation has always been cycling. In fact, he never owned a car before moving to Westport. In 2023, Markus founded Bike Westport, which advocates for residents and cyclists of all ages and levels to bike (or walk) around town safely.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! In 2022, Ceci Maher was elected to represent the 26th state Senate district which covers parts of Weston, Wilton, Westport, Ridgefield, Redding, Darien, New Canaan and Stamford. This will be the senator's first term in the state Senate. Ceci enjoyed a successful career in the retail space, running a multi-million-dollar department.  While taking time off to raise her children she volunteered for organizations in the community. Based on lessons learned while volunteering, she pursued a master's degree in social work, graduating from Columbia University. As a licensed master social worker, Ceci worked with children and youth in a psychiatric hospital, and then moved to leading local nonprofits. Ceci led the growth of educational opportunity programs at the Horizons National Student Enrichment Program for five years, and while executive director of Person-to-Person, she grew the agency from serving 15,000 people to serving 25,000 people per year and ultimately providing food for more than 2 million meals per year to people in need in 7 of the towns of lower Fairfield County. Ceci led Sandy Hook Promise as interim executive director, supporting gun violence prevention programs including the important "Know the Signs" program helping to create safer communities for students and families. Currently, Ceci resides in Wilton, where her children attended public schools. She grew up in Stamford, started her family in Norwalk, has worked in New Canaan and Darien, and volunteered in Westport.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Dave Briggs is a longtime national broadcaster at CNN, NBC Sports, Fox News and Turner Sports. He’s still doing media work and also is vice president for business development at Cann Social Tonic. He’s been a Westport resident since 2008, and very involved in town activities -- for example as a Westport Library board member and Fashionably Westport MC. So is his wife Brandi, an attorney who is on the RTM. They have three children: Emerson, Will, and Logan.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Phil Delgado retired from U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander, working on various ships and shore duty assignments. During his second career he contributed significantly to the multinational NATO Seasparrow Missile System Program Office in Washington, D.C., and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 Program Office, which is renowned as one of the world's most advanced stealth aircraft systems. His dedication to service continues through his roles as the Quartermaster at Westport Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 399 and the Adjutant at American Legion Post 63, where he contributes to supporting and honoring fellow veterans within the community. Phil proudly graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Andrea Moore is Westport’s 2nd selectwoman. A native of Westport and a Staples graduate, she previously served as vice chair of the Board of Finance and on the RTM. Andrea spent more than 20 years in the financial services industry, with UBS, Deutsche Bank, and Salomon Brothers. Andrea is a trustee of the Westport Weston Family Y. She is a former president of Staples Tuition Grants, the Saugatuck Elementary School PTA, and A Child’s Place pre-school.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Teri Fabi spent 30 years in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. Her focus was on incarcerated women, and the impact on their children. She was deputy chief of the domestic violence bureau and chief of the crime prevention division. She was also very active in the Women’s Community Justice Project. She moved to Westport three years ago and has already become active with her appointment to Westport’s Civilian Review Panel.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Dan's guest for November 27 is James Naughton, the local actor who has excelled onstage though a career that has also taken him into films and TV. Naughton graduated from Yale's drama school in 1970 and began making his mark in the stage production "Olympian Games" (1970) and with an award-winning turn as Edmund Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night." By the time he reached Broadway in 1977 with Cy Coleman's "I Love My Wife," he had already gotten a start in films and TV. Naughton has appeared in a number of TV series and had a recurring role as Judith Light's ex-husband on ABC's "Who's the Boss?" (1984-1987) and on NBC's "The Cosby Mysteries" (1994-1995). His ventures into TV movies included a featured role in "F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Last of the Belles" (ABC, 1974), as a U.S. soldier in "The Bunker" (CBS, 1981), a doctor in the Vanessa Redgrave vehicle "My Body, My Child" (ABC, 1982), a mobster in "Necessity" (CBS, 1988), a menaced local in "The Birds II: Land's End" (Showtime, 1994), and as Sharon Gless' new husband in two "Cagney and Lacey" reunions on CBS (1994 and 1995). His movie career includes smaller roles in films like "The Paper Chase" (1972), "The Good Mother" (1988), and "First Kid" (1996), as the president, as well as larger roles as the bumptious Gentleman Caller in Paul Newman's 1987 screen version of "The Glass Menagerie" and as Stockard Channing's smarmy husband in "The First Wives' Club" (1996). But while Naughton seems to shine as reliable husbands, dads, and professionals on TV and in films, the stage has given him his best roles. He first hit Broadway with a co-starring part in Cy Coleman's mate-swapping comedy "I Love My Wife" (1977). Playing opposite Joanna Gleason, Naughton displayed charm and a surprisingly strong vocal technique. After co-starring with Mary Tyler Moore in "Whose Life Is It, Anyway?" (1980), he had his next stage hit with another Coleman musical, the superior "City of Angels" (1989-1990). Playing a hard-bitten detective in the Sam Spade mode, Naughton earned critical praise and a Tony as Best Actor in a Musical. He returned to Broadway in 1996 alongside Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth in the revival of Kander and Ebb's "Chicago," in which he was a shady lawyer using showbiz techniques to "razzle dazzle" the jury. More recently, he has been an active advocate for compassionate aid in dying, appearing at The Westport Library to moderate a conversation on the subject in October 2023.

Westport’s own Dan Woog brings his popular blog “06880: Where Westport Meets the World” to life, via the Verso Studios at The Westport Library – recorded LIVE in the Trefz Forum! Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn began serving as the spiritual leader of TCS in July 2008. He dedicates his pulpit to building and fostering sacred community through inspirational teaching, gentle guiding, creative programming, meaningful relationships, and genuine leadership. Rabbi Wiederhorn is active in the larger community, serving as the president of the Interfaith Association of Westport and Weston since 2011, a CT board member of the ADL, national council member of AIPAC, and founding board member of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition. Prior to TCS, Rabbi Wiederhorn served for eight years as the first full-time rabbi of Midbar Kodesh Temple in Henderson, Nevada, where he helped grow the young congregation to 300 families, started a Hevra Kadisha (Jewish Burial Society), and helped create the Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas.