Michael Klingher of Weston was elected to chair Westport Country Playhouse’s board of trustees’ leadership at a recent annual meeting. Klingher succeeds Sandra DeFeo of Westport, who served as chair since 2008.
Klingher is senior managing director of Westbridge Capital, a real estate/hospitality investment fund, which he co-founded in 2006. He spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs, most recently as a managing director in New York and London, where he focused on opportunistic real estate investments on behalf of the Whitehall Funds. Prior to entering the business world, Klingher was a professional actor in New York and Los Angeles. He appeared in numerous commercials, as a guest star on several television shows, including “Taxi,” “Sanford” and “Ryan’s Hope,” and as a lead in the Broadway comedy, “Gemini.” Klingher has a BA from Wesleyan University, where he currently serves as a trustee, as well as a JD/MBA from Harvard University.
“I am thrilled to be assuming the role of chair of The Westport Country Playhouse,” said Klingher. “I thank the board for their continued support and especially Sandy DeFeo who has done such a terrific job over the past three years. I look forward to working with the board, with Mark [Lamos] and Michael [Ross] and with the wonderful Playhouse staff to continue to enhance the quality of our productions and programs. I am also counting on the support of our community and subscribers whose contributions allow us to provide world class theater at an affordable price and close to home. Please join us for the exciting 2012 Season.”
Other recently elected officers are Howard J. Aibel of Weston, vice chair; Michele Flaster of Southport, vice chair; Johnna Torsone of Stamford, vice chair; David C. Bukzin of Westport, treasurer; Ann Sheffer of Westport, secretary; and Richard Slavin of Fairfield, assistant secretary.
Fairfield County Community Foundation (FCCF) provided a general operating grant to The Playhouse specifically to support capacity-building focused in three key areas—to grow audience, broaden fundraising and to expand the board of trustees. It is thanks, in part, to the partnership with FCCF that The Playhouse is seeing growth in all three areas.
Recently elected board members are Alex Dimitrief, Katia Friend, Scott Hensel, Clarissa Moore, Margaret-M.V. Preston, Kenneth Seel, CarLyn Leslie Stonehill, Preston Tisdale and Judy M. Witt. Chairperson of the board’s nominating committee is Barbara Streicker.
Alex Dimitrief was named Vice President and General Counsel of GE Energy in October 2011. He joined General Electric in 2007 as Vice President for Litigation and Legal Policy. Dimitrief joined GE from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he had been a trial lawyer in the firm’s Chicago office since 1986. Dimitrief previously served as a White House Fellow in the Reagan Administration's Office of Political and Intergovernmental Affairs and as an Honors Intern in the U.S. Department of Justice.
Dimitrief attended Yale College and Harvard Law School, where he was the managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. Dimitrief and his wife Jill have three children and actively support numerous charitable organizations in Chicago, Fairfield County and New York.
Katia Friend is a senior director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. In this role, Friend is responsible for new business development in the tri-state region, working primarily with individuals, families, endowments and foundations to provide wealth management solutions. Friend joined the firm in 2008 and has over 20 years of experience serving the ultra-high net worth market. Prior to joining BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Friend was a managing director with U.S. Trust Company for 10 years where she advised high net worth individuals and families.
Friend received her bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University and completed Stanford University’s executive investment strategy training program. She holds series 6, 63, 66 and 7 licenses. Residing in Westport for over 20 years, Friend and her husband John have two daughters.
Scott Hensel is a Partner with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm and trusted advisor to the world's leading businesses, governments, and institutions. Hensel is based in McKinsey’s Stamford, Connecticut, Office, where he has resided for the last 11 years. He works primarily with clients in the High Tech and Industrial sectors across a range of topics, including strategy, business development, sales and marketing, and operations. Hensel currently leads McKinsey's Service Operations practice in the Americas, and its overall Operations practice in the Advanced Industries sector.
