Bethel, Darien, Rowayton, Stamford and Westport residents bring corporate and nonprofit expertise.

NORWALK – September 11, 2014 – Fairfield County’s Community Foundation is pleased to welcome eight members to its board of directors.

All were recently elected to serve a three-year term. They include: Maxwell Bonnie of Westport; Annie Burleigh of Darien; Brandon Cardwell of Stamford; Robert Eydt of Rowayton; Steven Goldstein and Dr. David Levinson of Westport; Martha Olson of Darien; and James Schmotter of Bethel. As leaders in the business community and actively involved with nonprofits in their towns and across the country, they bring a wealth of experience to help the Community Foundation make an impact throughout the region.

Maxwell Bonnie, a Westport resident, is a member of the Research Analytics team at Bridgewater Associates and a former consumer insights consultant with BrandSpark International. He also serves as an alumni ambassador for Prep for Prep, a leadership development program in New York, N.Y.

Annie Burleigh, a long-time Darien resident, is a former teacher and volunteers for many nonprofit and educational organizations. She has been a committee member for the Community Foundation for more than 12 years and serves on the board of At Home in Darien. She is also a founding member of No Means No, a nonprofit devoted to raising awareness of sexual assault on college campuses.

Brandon Cardwell, a Stamford resident, is a business consultant for indeed.com, a Stamford-based Internet search engine for employment. Formerly he was a search engine marketing analyst for Publicis Modem, a digital advertising agency. He is a 2008 graduate of University of Connecticut.

Robert Eydt, a Rowayton resident since 1980, is a seasoned partner from PriceWaterhouseCoopers with more than 30 years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, mutual funds and Private Equity Firms on complex business transactions. He has served on the boards and/or as an officer of many community organizations including Rowayton United Methodist Church, Stamford Hospital Foundation, Roton Point Association, Rowayton Civic Association, Boy Scouts of Fairfield County, Sixth Taxing District (Rowayton), Meals on Wheels of Stamford and Darien, and Stamford Children’s Theater.

Steven Goldstein, a Westport resident, is a nationally recognized leader in radio programming, marketing and management. He is Executive Vice President of Saga Communications, a publicly traded company of radio/TV stations and networks. He is also is the creator of Fastblast, LLC, a company that pioneered the field of Internet advertising. Goldstein also serves as a committee member for Autism Speaks of Westchester/Fairfield. 

Dr. David Levinson, a Westport resident, is president – since 2004 – of Norwalk Community College. He is a published author of numerous articles on education and sociology and serves on the boards of: Connecticut Campus Compact; Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce; Norwalk Maritime Aquarium; Norwalk Children’s Foundation; U Thant Institute; and the Workplace, Inc. He also serves on the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC).

Martha Olson, a Darien resident, is a consumer-focused growth strategist with more than 25 years of experience in growing global, iconic brands. She recently was involved in the merger of The Warnaco Group, Inc. into the fashion company PVH Corporation, prior to which she served as a Warnaco Corporate Officer and the Group President of Calvin Klein Underwear Global and the Heritage Brands (Speedo, Chaps and Core Intimates divisions). Ms. Olson also serves on the boards of SuperFutures and the Underfashion Club, both dedicated to promoting education.

James Schmotter, a Bethel resident, is president – since 2004 – of Western Connecticut State University. He is a published author of numerous articles on international business and business education and has consulted for leading organizations such as IBM, TRW and the Institute for International Education. Mr. Schmotter is active in his community as Chair of the United Way of Western Connecticut, a director of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce and Ethan Allen Interiors, and a corporator of the Savings Bank of Danbury.

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation promotes philanthropy as a means to create change in Fairfield County, focusing on innovative and collaborative solutions to critical issues impacting the community. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds or contribute to existing funds. The Community Foundation is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards, and has awarded $180 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit www.FCCFoundation.org.