Who’s your idea of a class act?

“Michelle Obama. She has great substance. She represents herself well. She also represents her husband and family life well. I think the way she carries herself says a lot about her. She supports great causes. Most of all, she speaks very concisely and purposefully. –

Rhonda Baker

Financial adviser, Merrill Lynch, Westport resident

 

“Roy Neuberger, benefactor, Neuberger Museum of Art. Westchester County was given an extraordinary gift and treasure trove of contemporary art when Roy Neuberger donated a portion of his collection to the museum that bears his name on the grounds of Purchase College. He was a successful financier who had the means and access to gift any one of New York City’s great museums or to open his own in Manhattan. But he chose Westchester. As an abstract artist who paints from my home studio in Rye, I especially appreciate the museum’s easy accessibility. On those days when I need a little jolt of inspiration or a nudge to stop staring at a blank canvas and start painting, I can allow myself one more distraction by taking a quick drive up the parkway. Within 15 minutes, I am surrounded by all the inspiration that I need to return to my own studio, reminded that not Milton Avery nor Jackson Pollack nor Mark Rothko were overnight successes, either. But until the museum reopens next year, I’ll continue to look for and embrace the same everyday occurrences that gave these great artists their inspiration.”

Joseph Blumstein

Abstract artist, Rye resident

 

“Catherine Middleton is a class act. That’s why all the young, new, talented designers are creating the ‘looks’ she wears – simple, understated chic fashion. Her favorites are Erdem and Roland Mouret for daytime occasions or Jenny Packham for her glamorous night life. She’s the proof that women don’t need to be bedecked. ‘Gilding the lily’ is always too much. Simple good taste is always in style.”
Mary Jane Denzer

President, Mary Jane Denzer store in White Plains, White Plains resident

 

“Jackie Robinson. He was a great guy. He said a life in itself is unimportant, except in the effect it has on other lives.”

Brian Desrosier

President, Computer SuperCenter in Greenwich, Ridgefield resident

 

“I think [President] Barack Obama. I admire his gracefulness in the way he handles anything. He’s very dignified. He’s handled so many attacks on the welfare of the people of this country and the office of the President. He has so much more character than most other presidents.”

– Sally Frank

Marketer, North Salem resident

 

I would say Jane Fonda. I am listening to her book on tape where she talks about a review of her life at 51. She’s very thoughtful, very inspiring. She says life is not an arc going up in the beginning and down towards the end but instead a staircase as you continue to grow and evolve toward becoming who you are supposed to be.”

Ann Giuli

Case manager, WestMed Group in Purchase, Stamford resident

 

“The British queen (Elizabeth II), age 86, pretending to jump out of a helicopter at the opening of the Olympic Games gets my vote. I hope when I am 86, I still have that spirit of adventure and the ability to surprise people.”
Morag Grassie

Owner, Ally Bally Bee in Ridgefield, Redding resident

 

“My idea of a class act is Amy Brenneman. Not only is she a talented actress, but she finds time to volunteer and give back to the community. She has publicly shared information about her battle with ulcerative colitis. With poise, sophistication and genuine concern for others, Brenneman is using her celebrity and her personal experience to provide hope for other patients and families living with these difficult diseases.”

– Lisa Harding

Development manager, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, Fairfield/Westchester chapter, White Plains resident

 

“You know who I love? I met her – Ivanka Trump. The other night I was walking outside Tao, this fancy restaurant in the city. There were all these paparazzi out to see her. She just comes out of her car and gives everyone the shot they wanted. But you know these celebrities normally hide with the sunglasses and don’t want to be seen? She just said she knows what they need and she gave it to them. I’ve met her. She’s very mature, polite, and a good businesswoman. When you walk into her store, they treat you well. They’re handing you chocolates. She knows how to run a good business.”

– David Hochberg

Art agent for painters and sculptors, Katonah resident

 

I know several. It’s hard to decide. I would say my friend Genie. She’s a therapist who has beaten cancer, and she writes about bullying and things of that nature. She’s an advocate for those who need help, and she somehow manages to remain very low-key. She lived at the Ritz for a while but you would never know it. She’s very plain and not affected by anything. She’s just a very real person.”

– Jessica Lawrence

Energy healer, Heart Healings in White Plains, White Plains resident

 

“Roz Abrams, member, board of directors, Axial Theatre. For several years, Roz Abrams was a welcomed guest in the homes of millions of New Yorkers. She consistently reported the news objectively, putting aside her own personal opinion of daily headlines. She was a class ‘A’ professional, who worked hard to earn some of the most coveted positions in broadcast journalism. So when she recently signed up for acting and then playwriting classes with our acting and theater groups, she finally got the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of interpreting characters as Roz the actress, and on the characters she creates, as Roz the playwright. To all of her classmates and instructors, she is just ‘Roz,’ not the familiar face of the evening news. It is this special quality that makes her such a valuable new addition to the Axial Theatre board of directors and a welcomed member to our family of passionate theater artists. Roz is indeed a class act.”

Howard Meyer

founder and artistic director, Axial Theatre and Howard Meyer’s Acting Program, Pleasantville resident

 

Diane Sawyer – elegant, ladylike and knows when not to ask a wrong or mean-spirited question. And, Dr. Erika Schwartz. Erika is brainy, beautiful, compassionate, caring, warm and gracious to everyone. Despite her accomplishments, she is totally down-to-earth. I respect and admire her with a full heart.”

Debbi O’Shea

Personal shopper, writer, beauty and fashion blogger, Purchase resident

 

My mom. She’s a go-getter. She can mold her personality to fit wherever she is, and she can adapt to different roles when the situation calls for it. She just always knows how to act.”

Caitlin Vassello

Fitness coach, Greenwich Equinox, Greenwich resident

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