July 2022

EDITOR’S LETTER

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When we think of finance, we may think of cold, hard cash and unfeeling numbers. But the people you’ll meet here in WAG’s first finance issue can truly be said to put the “personal” in personal finance — a subject that may be more important than ever in this challenging economy.

A lucky, smart move into finance

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Larry M. Elkin left journalism for the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, then left Andersen to create his own financial planning business. He says he was lucky. Others would say he was lucky and smart.

Integrating work into life

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Named one of banking’s 15 powerful women this year by American Banker, Becky Lansen of Synchrony in Stamford is part of a trend to move beyond the work-life balance to seeing work and life as part of a whole, even as she spearheaded the creation of Venmo’s first credit card.

Curating the dresses of your dreams

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A fixture in White Plains for 42 years, Mary Jane Denzer – the luxury clothing and accessories boutique nestled in one of the city’s twin Ritz Carlton Residences – has emerged from the past two years stronger than ever, thanks to its faithfulness and that of its clientele.

A global perspective on the arts

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As Asia Society’s vice president for Global Artistic Programs at the society’s 14 centers, director of the society’s museum and co-founding artistic director of its triennial, Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe has bridged East and West for more than a decade. Now she looks to continue that international outreach at the Katonah Museum of Art as its new executive director, beginning Aug. 15.

A marriage of true minds

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David Gordon, M.D., regional chair of neurosurgery for Northwell facilities in Westchester County, and Marisha Pessl, The New York Times best-selling author of “Night Film,” “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and “Neverworld Wake,” find common ground in the life of the mind and life with their three young daughters in Bedford Hills.

Retail therapy for the home

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“As a shopper myself, I like to be able to touch the object I am purchasing to see if it looks and feels like something I want to wear or put into my home,” writes interior design columnist Cami Weinstein, who has opened her first brick-and-mortar store in East Hampton.

Basque-ing in Spanish wines

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When the Spanish Tourism Board reached out and asked WAG wine columnist Doug Paulding to participate in a media trip to the Basque country and La Rioja wine region of Spain, he replied with an unequivocal, enthusiastic “yes.”