Henry Winkler: Opening Keynote
“If You Will It, It Is Not a Dream”

Henry Winkler knows a thing or two about Hollywood, having spent nearly three decades enjoying success in the business. Winkler’s portrayal of “The Fonz” for 10 seasons (1974-84) made him one of the most recognized actors in the world. He won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series (1976 and 1977), and three Emmy nominations in the same category. He was also honored with a “star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Beyond his talents and visibility on the screen is Henry’s strong commitment to human services causes, especially those related to children. At CONNECTIONS2008, Henry will share “If You Will It, It Is Not a Dream,” the heartfelt, entertaining and inspirational story about his own life and some of the obstacles he had to overcome on the way to his great success. After the keynote, he’ll meet CONNECTIONS attendees in the Exhibit Hall and autograph copies of one of his books from “The Hank Zipzer Collection.” Winkler began writing the Zipzer series of children’s novels in 2003 with his co-author Lin Oliver. The books are inspired by Winkler’s struggle throughout his education due to his learning challenges.

Conference attendees will thoroughly enjoy Henry Winkler and “If You Will It, It Is Not a Dream” during the Tuesday opening plenary session at CONNECTIONS2008!

Zoë Baird: Industry Keynote
President of The Markle Foundation

Zoë Baird is president of the Markle Foundation, a private philanthropy that focuses on using information and communications technologies to address critical public needs, particularly in the areas of health care and national security.

Ms. Baird’s career spans business, government, and academia.  She has been senior vice president and general counsel of Aetna, Inc., a senior visiting scholar at Yale Law School, counselor and staff executive at General Electric, and a partner in the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers.  She was associate general counsel to President Jimmy Carter and an attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice.  She served on President Clinton’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 1993 – 2001 and on the International Competition Policy Advisory Committee to the Attorney General. 

Ms. Baird served on the Technology & Privacy Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Defense in 2003-2004 and Co-Chairs with Jim Barksdale the Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age.  She participates in the Steering Committee of Markle’s Connecting for Health initiative, and is on a number of non-profit and corporate boards, including the Chubb Corporation, Boston Properties, and the Brookings Institution.

James Conway: Netsmart Update

Jim Conway, Netsmart CEO, will update CONNECTIONS2008 attendees on Netsmart’s strategy and future direction. Jim is responsible for the company’s overall direction, securing resources for continued growth, and working with the executive management team to support Netsmart’s mission and vision.

Jim serves on the board of directors of LISTnet, a Long Island-based organization dedicated to achieving excellence for software and technology solutions. He is also a member of the CEO Roundtable of Long Island.

He received an MBA from New York Institute of Technology.