By James Lomuscio
Seven movers and shakers, some with enough credentials for a presidential cabinet, have joined the Westport Public Library’s 25-member Advisory Coucil, a body that offers insight on how the library can define its mission and reach its goals.
The new members include: Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission; David Komansky, chairman emeritus of Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc.; Lawrence Grossman, former president of NBC News and PBS and current co-chair of the Digital Promise Project; Ann Sheffer, a community arts patron and member of the Connecticut Commision on Culture and Tourism, as well as a board member of myriad foundations; Evelyn Kossak, president and co-founder of Jolen Creme Bleach Company; Ian Bremmer, columnist and commentator who founded Eruasia, a research and consulting firm; and Venetia Kontogouris, managing director for Trident Capital, a venture capital and private equity firm.
The new council members join a powerhouse roster that includes Joseph A. Califano, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare from 1977 to 1979, and John Sias, former president of the San Francisco Chronicle and president of NBC Network Group.
“They come together as a group, and they’re also available to call on for their individual expertise,” said Maxine Bleiweis, library director. “It’s a privilege to have people of that caliber.
“The key is that they all have the desire for community involvement through the library as an institution that has been important to them personally and professionally,” she added.
