Charles Paksi has held several titles, including his current roles as a Director at Altium Wealth in Purchase NY and a Professor of Military Science for Cadets in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.  While some roles and titles come and go, Charles will always be a United States Marine.

As a young boy from rural Wisconsin, Charles always dreamed of becoming a Marine.  After graduating high school in 1991, he joined the Marine Corps and earned the title:  Marine.  In late 1992, he completed Airborne school and was then deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia for “Operation Restore Hope,” a humanitarian effort providing famine relief to Somalians.

Charles transferred from Active Duty to Marine Corps Reserves in 1995 to enroll at the University of Wisconsin.  After earning his undergraduate degree, he began his business career at FactSet in Greenwich, CT while continuing to serve our Republic as a Guardsman in the New York Air National Guard.

Days after September 11, 2001, Charles was ordered to put his business career on hold to deploy with Special Operations Command.  The next assignment took him overseas to conduct operations for “Operation Enduring Freedom” in the opening chapter of the Global War on Terrorism.  He conducted operations in Oman, Djibouti, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan through December 2002.

In 2008, Charles earned a Commission as an Officer in the Connecticut Army National Guard.  In 2010 Charles was deployed a third time, this time as an Infantry Officer with the 102nd Mountain Infantry Battalion from the Connecticut Army National Guard.  During this deployment, Charles led Infantrymen on combat patrols in the northeast of Afghanistan; in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan provinces.

An abbreviated list of Charles’ awards and decorations include: a Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, and Parachutist Badge.

Charles earned a BBA from the University of Wisconsin School of Business and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.

Charles’ wonderful wife Alexis and their four children (Zoe, Gabriel, Elle, and Charli) attend Mass at Church of the Holy Spirit and reside in North Stamford.

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Chip Skowron is a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Strategy at LifeSci Partners, where he brings a rare combination of deep scientific training, decades of healthcare investment experience, and a uniquely human perspective to building exceptional life sciences companies.

As a physician and research scientist, Chip was uniquely positioned to become an expert in healthcare investments. After working at several renowned hedge funds, he founded and grew FrontPoint Healthcare into a world-class asset management business — launching their first fund in 2003 and growing assets under management to in excess of one billion dollars by 2005. He and his partners sold FrontPoint to Morgan Stanley, and during the financial crisis the firm became notable for being one of the few that successfully navigated the storm. At the end of 2010, Chip became the focus of a criminal insider trading investigation, and in 2011 was sentenced to five years in Federal Prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and obstruction of justice. He was released in May 2015. The years inside proved to be the best education of his life — reshaping his character and deepening his understanding of risk, judgment, and accountability. It was there that he discovered the importance and power of community, and came to believe that a faith-centered community is an essential element of human thriving — a conviction that now informs every aspect of his personal and professional life.

Chip was born and raised in Cocoa, FL. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and went on to complete his Medical Degree and Ph.D. in Cell Biology at Yale. After three years of orthopedic residency at Harvard, he chose to leave clinical medicine and pursue a career on Wall Street.

Chip is a committed follower of Jesus and an active participant in prison ministry. He has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards including Americares, Prison Fellowship, FrontPoint, and First Loved Ministries.

Chip and his wife have four adult children and live in Greenwich, CT.

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Matt Chamberlin is a financial advisor and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) at Ameriprise Financial.  He is also a member of the NCS New Canaan chapter team with a leadership role in its NCS Inside and Outside prison ministry.

Matt first heard about NCS from a friend in late 2013 when his marriage was struggling.  Although his 16-year marriage ultimately ended in divorce, it produced three beautiful kids who Matt cherishes.  It also inspired Matt to obtain his CDFA certification in order to help divorcees manage their new financial realities.

 Matt began his finance career at Shearson Lehman Bros. in foreign exchange, then spent eight years at Tudor Investment Corp. and twelve years at SAC Capital as senior trader/portfolio manager.  Since 2017, Matt has focused on serving the wealth management needs of individuals and families.

 Matt is currently involved in several projects whilst volunteering with NCS Inside and Outside working in prison ministry with inmates in Bridgeport Correctional Center.  He also serves on the prayer ministry team at Trinity Church.  Matt previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Montessori School in Wilton, CT.

 Matt has a BBA from James Madison University, majoring in Finance and Economics.

 Matt now lives in Stamford, CT (after 10 years in New Canaan and some time in Weston).

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Dr. Mitch Dickey is an entrepreneur, investor, psychologist, social scientist, and educator.

Most importantly, Mitch will launch a business in June of 2026 to help young adults transition from college student to fully-fledged adult, and starting with a strong career direction and focus.

Mitch has started four businesses, including an executive coaching and management consulting business. He is a managing director/executive committee of Ash Creek Capital Advisors, through which he has made personal seed round investments in 15+ startups and has a particular passion for strengthening young healthcare companies so that they have a right to win with their customers. He is the owner and founder of The Inflection Point, LLC.

Mitch has been a professor and researcher at some of the nation’s top universities and programs and won national research awards in emotional intelligence and the processes that underlie effective therapy. He has also served as a member of the State of Connecticut’s behavioral health Quality Assurance subcommittee during the state’s transition to managed care, and as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force – Division of Family Psychology, American Psychological Association.

Mitch was born in NYC and moved many times while growing up. He is half Midwesterner and half NYC suburbanite. Mitch earned a BA degree in English Literature from Kenyon College, a Masters Degree from Kent State, and a PhD in Psychology from Yale University.

Mitch and his wife Laura have been married for 23 years and live in Greenwich, CT with their daughter Rachel who attends the University of Miami.

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The childhood of Nicholas Philip Anthony John Agneto, III was filled with faith, family, and tradition. Yet as he grew older, he searched for love and identity in all the wrong places. Nick's young adult years became marked by the nightlife scene, destructive relationships, and addiction, leaving behind a trail of pain and brokenness.

When Nick was a boy, a priest once spoke a prophetic word over his life stating, "The Lord is going to send you out as a missionary." At the time, he didn’t understand what it meant, but God never forgot it.

Everything changed in a single moment.

One Sunday morning, after a long night out in New York City, Nick stumbled into a church looking for his parents. A visiting preacher prayed for him, and the Holy Spirit touched him in a way he can only describe as miraculous. In that moment, Nick experienced healing; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He encountered Jesus in a way that transformed him forever.

From that day forward, Nick's life has belonged wholly to Him. He surrendered everything and dedicated his life to serving God and sharing His Gospel and love wherever He leads. The prophecy spoken over him began to unfold before his eyes: Nick's mess became His mission for Nick's life.

For nearly 30 years, Nick has ministered across communities and nations, witnessing Jesus transform countless lives. He has seen His love restore the broken, heal wounded hearts, and bring hope where there was none.

In 2021, the Lord called Nick to leave everything and step into three specific assignments: to minister to men and youth, to return to anti-trafficking work, and to share the Gospel through every available form of media.

Nick was also part of the early days of NCS, a brotherhood that began as just 30 men gathering in Jim Lane’s home, united by a desire to point men to Jesus Christ, grow in faith and strengthen one another.

Nick is a Co-Host of “Eagle Ministries” podcast on YouTube, and the Founder of Love Gives Back.

Nick is a proud American of Italian heritage. A few family and friends call him, "Meatball" or "Nicky Soups". He traces his Connecticut family-tree roots to the early 1900s and has over 300 family members living in Fairfield County. His mother’s family came from Gravina di Puglia, Italy; his father’s side, from Napoli. The family compiled generations of recipes in a cookbook with its proceeds having been donated to Alzheimer’s research and Stamford Hospital.

Nick loves his family, horses, house music, and hiking, to name a few things.

He lives in Stamford with his wife Kristen and three daughters.

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Rocky Progano is the President and Founder of MediaCOM Inc., a full-service video creative content production company based in Stamford, Connecticut, specializing in both commercial and personal storytelling projects. He has been a member of the New Canaan Society (NCS) New Canaan leadership team since 2010, helping to encourage men in their faith and spiritual growth.

Rocky began his career in television and video production as a cameraman in 1982. Over the years, he expanded his expertise in lighting, directing, and production, working with Fortune 500 companies on a wide range of corporate and broadcast projects. His work has taken him around the world, producing segments for Good Morning America, NBC News, and CBS News.

As his career developed, Rocky served as a Director of Photography and producer on projects for The History Channel, HBO Executive Forum, and CNBC. Along the way, he had the opportunity to work with notable figures, including television legend Jack Paar, Candid Camera’s Peter Funt, and actor-director Ron Howard, among others.

Rocky was raised in a God-fearing home and was very active in church from a young age. However, a series of life events eventually led him down a difficult path. Married in 1980, things became even more challenging, yet his wife, Sandy, never stopped loving him or believing in him.

Although Rocky had accepted Jesus into his heart in 1974, he eventually realized he could not change his life on his own. He rededicated his life to Christ and surrendered his struggles to Him. From that point forward, God began transforming his life in even a greater way.

Today, Rocky is grateful for God's grace and seeks to encourage others through faith, prayer, and community. One of the verses that continues to guide his life is Ephesians 3:20:

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works within us."

Rocky believes the prayer room is where men slow down, seek God together, and witness Him doing far more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Rocky and Sandy have been married for over 45 years and are thankful for their growing family, including their 3 children and 4 wonderful grandchildren.

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Terry Laughren is a retired marketing executive, a private equity investor, a board director and advisor in media and marketing services, and, as a Florida resident, co-founder of NCS Coconut Grove.  Most importantly, he is a mentor to many men in their life and faith journeys.

Terry started his career as a brand manager with Proctor & Gamble Company.  He went on to hold senior level positions at International Playtex, Mattel, J. Walter Thomson and E. & J. Gallo.  In 1981, Terry founded Screenvision Cinema Network and created the concept of showing commercials before films in movie theaters, eventually placing ads on more than 6,000 movie screens nationwide.  He held the positions of President and Managing Partner and then Chairman of Screenvision until 1990.  Terry now serves as a Managing Director of Ashcreek Capital Advisors and is the owner of The Laughren Group LLC.

When he was residing in Connecticut, Terry was an active member of Trinity Church in Greenwich, CT and one of the original leaders of Trinity's men's groups.   Since moving to Coconut Grove, Terry has been a member of Plymouth Congregational Church.

Terry was born in Trenton, NJ but grew up in Maine.  He earned his BA with honors from Boston University in 1961 and served in the United States Army from 1961-1963, earning the rank of First Lieutenant.  Terry has served as Chairman of the Boston University National Alumni Council.

Terry and his wife Leslie reside in Coconut Grove, FL and also maintain a home in Darien, CT.  He has three adult children from a previous marriage and one grandson.

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