Just like every NCS chapter needs a strong core leadership team to model NCS friendship for, and support and encourage, its members, NCS has a core team of leaders, advisors, staff and key volunteers who try to model NCS leadership for, and support and encourage, the NCS chapter leaders and who support NCS. It is a pretty small team, but it is a group committed to serving marketplace men by furthering the NCS mission and purpose.
Chapter Leader
Paul Michalski
Paul Michalski became involved with the New Canaan Society in October 2003. (The story of how Paul found NCS is shared in the book Miracles by Eric Metaxas.) Paul has been leading NCS New Canaan (the founding Chapter of NCS) since September 2007, and is considered a member of the National Leadership Team of NCS. He previously served as Acting President of NCS (from July 2009-March 2010), a member of the NCS Board of Directors (from August 2008-December 2010), a member of the NCS Management Committee (from December 2010-March 2013) and as Corporate Secretary of NCS (from August 2008-March 2013).
Paul was an attorney in the corporate department of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP for over 22 years, joining Cravath in 1986 and becoming a partner in 1994. From 1996 through 2000, Paul was resident in the firm’s London office. Paul took a leave of absence from October 2008 to June 2009 to help NCS in its transition from a regional to a national organization and realized that he was meant to begin a new chapter in his life. In addition to being involved with a number of other non-profit organizations, Paul is President of Third River Consulting, LLC, a strategic and transactional consulting firm. More recently, he founded Integrous LLC, a firm providing integrity advice and legal counsel to leaders and organizations (integriosity.com).
Paul graduated from Harvard College in 1983 (magna cum laude) and Harvard Law School in 1986 (magna cum laude). He and his wife Lisa live in Darien, CT with their children, James and Annie.
Additional Team Members
Alan Renne
Alan joined NCS in 2001 upon settling in Connecticut with his family following more than ten years in Europe. His fondest memories of life overseas involve many years with a dedicated small group in connection with membership at Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge, England.
Alan credits his wife Sherry as most influential in his Christian walk. She is a licensed clinical social worker with Regional Hospice in Danbury, CT. They have been married for nearly 40 years and have two children. Kailee Grace is attending Anderson University in South Carolina, and Christian is an emergency physician at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Alan is a partner in the global executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates where he works from New York City and Stamford, CT. He specializes in CEO and board level work within the industrial manufacturing sector. Alan worked previously with The Coca-Cola Company in general management positions at divisional and regional levels in Europe and Eurasia. His prior employers were the J.M. Smucker Company and Procter & Gamble. Earlier Alan served in the U.S. Army as a general’s aide and in several command assignments with armor units stationed in the U.S. and overseas. He has lived and worked in Germany, the U.K., Austria and Turkey. Alan is also the former Chairman of the Board and now Board Emeritus and Advisor to The Grace Children’s Foundation in New York.
Alan was born and raised in Westmont, NJ, essentially a suburb of Philadelphia, and he is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Bobby Cohen
Bob Cohen lives in Westchester County with his wife Denise of 22 years and their two teenagers. He currently serves on the prayer ministry team and is a youth leader with the high school students at Trinity Church, Greenwich Ct. Bob was first exposed to New Canaan Society in 2006 when he attended his first retreat at Mohonk Mountain House and was immediately attracted to the culture of NCS; watching men press deeper into their relationships with Jesus and each other.
Bob is an accomplished professional in the financial services industry and was the Founder and CEO of the successful brokerage firm Trinity Trading Corp. Throughout his career he has built a reputation for developing businesses, being a passionate leader and managing to be a fierce competitor. His innovative business model, relentless work ethic and strong Christian values enabled him to realize incredible growth by utilizing existing relationships to develop a list of prominent institutional clients. His contagious enthusiasm inspires others to push themselves beyond their limits while his character inspires confidence and truth.
Bret Keeney
Bret Keeney got introduced to NCS in 2013 by a brudder (Jim Rumsey) at a time when Bret’s marriage was struggling due to his drinking. Bret’s involvement in NCS was an answer to the prayers of his wife, Viviana, who had been praying for him to return to a relationship with Jesus. God used NCS not only to reintroduce Bret to his faith and set him on a path to sobriety, but also to introduce him to Pivot Ministries, where Bret serves on the Board and has used his professional skills to assist with the expansion of Pivot’s campus in Bridgeport, CT. Bret’s involvement with Pivot began at an NCS meeting when he felt a call to begin to “give back”. As much as Bret has been able to “give back” through Pivot, his Pivot affiliation and friendships have played an important role in both the renewal of his faith and in his sobriety. Bret describes the relationships he has made with brudders at NCS as “incredible, recharging, supportive, and nothing short of a miracle.”
Professionally, Bret is a Director in CBRE’s Tri-State Project Management Group based in New York City, NY and Stamford, CT. He has more than 23 years of experience in the management, administration, and construction of space, and has completed projects involving office locations, IT infrastructure, transportation facilities, corporate interiors, financial institutions, education facilities, residential developments and landmarked structures, among others.
Bret and Viviana have been married since 2004 and currently live in Stamford, CT (although they share Bronx roots). They have five children (ranging in age from 8 to 23) and one granddaughter.
Matthew Chamberlin
Matt first heard about NCS from a friend in early 2014 when his marriage was struggling. Although his 16-year marriage ultimately ended in divorce, it produced three beautiful kids who Matt cherishes. He now lives in Redding, CT (after 10 years in New Canaan and some time in Weston). Matt began his finance career at Shearson Lehman Bros. and then spent eight years at Tudor Investment Corp. and twelve years at SAC Capital. Matt is currently involved in several projects whilst volunteering with NCS Inside working in prison ministry with inmates in Bridgeport Correctional Center. He has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Montessori School in Wilton, CT. Matt has a BBA in Finance from James Madison University.
Peter Hawkins
Peter G. Hawkins has worked in the financial industry for over 35 years. He began as an officer at the Chase Manhattan Bank. From there Peter started a highly successful mortgage brokerage business in Beverly Hills. Returning to the east coast in 1980 he was one of the new companies to focus on financial planning.
Peter was recently selected (2008 & 2009) by the Consumers’ Research Council of America, an independent research company in Washington, DC, as one of “America’s Top Financial Planners.” And, is listed in the “Guide to America’s Top Financial Planners.”
On the side Peter played in the Metropolitan Union for the Old Blue RFC (same club as BJ Weber and Bob Muzikowski, but please don’t hold it against Peter) and in Los Angeles for the LA Rugby Club. He was selected to the Metropolitan Union All-star team as well as the President’s XVs. As Head Coach at Yale the team won the Northeast Championships and was invited to the Nationals.
In addition, Peter and his wife Phyllis have two LA film-director sons, Zeke and Simon (www.TheHawkinsBrothers.com). Peter is a long standing member of the New Canaan Society when it simply met in New Canaan and didn’t have a name.
Rocky Progano
Rocky was raised in a God-fearing home and was very involved in church life at a young age, but it wasn’t long before a series of events bought him down the wrong path. Married in 1980, things got worse, but his wife, who loved him dearly, didn’t give up on him. Several years after accepting Jesus into his heart in 1974, Rocky realized he could not do it alone and rededicated his life to Christ. Jesus had to change him, and things started to change!
Rocky attends Bethany Church in Stamford, CT where he served as a Deacon for almost 10 years and was recently asked to head up the Men’s Ministry.
Rocky attended The University of Bridgeport of Business and began his career in video production and television as a cameraman in 1982. He expanded his talents in lighting and television production by working with and producing video for Fortune 500 corporate clients on various levels of production. Soon, his experience took him around the globe for segments for Good Morning America, NBC and CBS News. He began to develop his talents further as Director of Photography & Producing Programs for The History Channel, HBO Executive Forum & CNBC. Rocky has worked with Television Legend Jack Paar (on the production of 2 television specials), Candid Camera’s Peter Funt and Actor-Director Ron Howard, to name a few.
Rocky is currently the President and Founder of MediaCOM Inc located in Stamford, CT, where he lives with his wife, Sandy, and their 3 wonderful sons, Rocky II, Christopher and Mark.
Terry Wilcox
Terry Wilcox has served as the Executive Director of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission since January 1, 2002. He is an ordained minister with 25 years experience as a pastor and 15 years in Rescue Mission ministry. He has held ministry positions in York, Pennsylvania, Seattle, Washington, Damascus, Maryland, San Diego, California, Warrenton, Virginia and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He has led mission teams to Mexico, Nicaragua, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa. Terry serves on the Board of Directors of Sons of Thunder, Inc., which owns and operates a large farm in Zambia, providing agricultural training, medical clinics, schools, famine relief and an orphanage for infants. He is the Vice President of Encouragement, Inc., which operates five orphanages, leadership training and 55 churches in Western Kenya. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Rescue Mission and Dexter and Friends.
Terry has conducted several study tours in the Holy Lands and often speaks at camp meetings, Bible conferences, men’s retreats, and churches.
Terry and his wife, Danielle, live in Bridgeport. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.