Expertise: Classic Films

Available for in-person lectures in: All Markets

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Dan, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

A lifelong film lover, Dan Hudak has worked extensively as a film critic in print, radio and television. He has provided film reviews and commentary for WPLG-TV (ABC) Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, ABCNews.com, the Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, CNN.com, indieWIRE.com, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Newsday, Orlando Sentinel, San Francisco Examiner and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

He is the owner of Hudak On Hollywood, Inc., and his popular "Hudak On Hollywood" lectures are given throughout the United States. He is the former chairman of the Florida Film Critics Circle and a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association. He studied Film History and Criticism at Bard College and the University of Miami, where he received his M.A. in Film Studies. To give Dan a piece of your mind, e-mail him at dan@hudakonhollywood.com.

Expertise: Broadway & Classic Films

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Hap, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Born in Washington, D.C., Hap Erstein went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in dreary Troy, New York, where he narrowly escaped becoming an engineer. In 1994, he and his wife moved to West Palm Beach, where he assumed the position of theater critic at The Palm Beach Post and soon after added the job of film critic. He held these positions for 15 years, until retiring from the paper in 2008. Hap now writes for Palm Beach ArtsPaper, an online and hard copy arts magazine. He has taught theater appreciation courses at Florida Atlantic University's Lifelong Learning Society and been a longtime member of the Carbonell Awards panel recognizing theater excellence in South Florida. Each weekend, he can be heard on WJNO Radio talking about the latest film releases. During his career Hap has interviewed such show business legends as Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, George Burns, Stephen Sondheim and Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. When not working, he can usually be found playing tennis or backgammon.

Expertise: Broadway & Classic Films

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? No

To book Bill, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Bill Hirschman is the editor, chief critic and reporter for Florida Theater on Stage, a professional advertising-supported arts journalism website he created 11 years ago. He has been a professional journalist since interning during high school in 1966 in Westchester County, New York. He began reviewing theater for the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 1998 and had written about the arts and reviewed for several decades before that, especially books. His arts coverage has appeared in Variety, American Theatre magazine, Playbill.com, a&e magazine, the Sondheim Review, Mystery Scene Magazine, Florida Health News, 850 magazine, and the Miami Herald among many other outlets. He is the former chairman of the executive committee of the American Theatre Critics’ Association and currently chair of its advisory committee. He lives in Plantation with two dogs, one named after the heroine of Sunday in the Park With George, and his wife Oline H. Cogdill, who he says “makes all things possible.”

Expertise: Film History & Music

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida & Southern New Jersey

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Sharon, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Sharon Harris has worked in public relations/communications and the media since the 1980s, and currently works as a freelance business and consumer journalist. She’s always had a deep interest in classic Hollywood; she launched her adult enrichment course, "Hooray for Hollywood," in October 2016 for Stockton University's Friends of Encore Learning at Stockton (FELS) program in New Jersey. She began with the invention of the motion picture in the 1890s, and recently completed her sixth season, which focused on WWII and Hollywood's participation in the war effort. She’s been giving lectures on a variety of classic Hollywood topics since 2018. Topics include: Music of the 1960s, in depth looks at Gone With The Wind, The Godfather, and Casablanca, the early studio moguls, Jewish Vaudeville and Hollywood, the film industry before, during and after WWII, and a look at the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

Expertise: Jewish History, Israel, Middle East

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Alex, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Alex Bruner is a former international management consultant and fundraiser. A child of Holocaust survivors from Yugoslavia who remained in Europe after World War II, he has lived in and worked on three continents. His special interest is the history of the Jewish people. He lectures on various topics related to Israel, the Middle East and antisemitism.

He was the chief Palm Beach fundraiser for the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel). Bruner also served as the North American director for an agency established by American and Canadian business leaders to assist early-stage Israeli companies. He holds a BS, Ch. Eng. from the University of Maryland and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Expertise: Classic & Foreign Film Discussions

Available for in-person discussions in: South FL

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Roberta, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Roberta Presser has had a multi-faceted career in the film industry as a Location Manager, Production Coordinator, Assistant to the Producer, and Second Assistant Director. She has worked with such luminaries as Tom Hanks, Richard Burton, Tatum O’Neal, John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. On The Blues Brothers, she coordinated more than 100 vehicles used in this iconic car chase comedy. You can see her film credit every Halloween when they show Friday the 13th, Pt. 2!

While living in Toronto, Roberta set up a workshop for Toronto Women in Film and Television and assisted at the Toronto Film Festival. Back in New York, she was an active member of the Media Educators Association and wrote for their newsletter.

Since moving to Florida, Roberta has taught film and hosted screenings for the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the JCC in Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton, the Palm Beach County Library, the Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival, and Temple Beth El in Boca. For the past twelve years, she has been teaching film courses to retirees at the New York Teachers’ Union (UFT) headquarters in Boca, and, since Covid, she has also been teaching on Zoom nationwide for the Queens, New York, UFT office.

Expertise: Politics, American History

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book James, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

James Todd is an Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Politics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach. His areas of expertise include American government, constitutional law, and political history. Since he and his family arrived in Palm Beach County in 2015, Dr. Todd has been a frequent contributor to local and national media coverage of politics. He has regularly appeared as a speaker for Palm Beach County civic, community, and library groups. In 2022, Dr. Todd contributed lectures about the Constitution to the State of Florida Civics Seal of Excellence teacher training program. A native of Alabama, Todd received a B.A. in political science and economics from Jacksonville State University (2001), a law degree (2005) and Ph.D. in American politics (2015) from The University of Alabama. His most recent published work is "Why Do We Have a Constitution?" for The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes (2023).

Expertise: Women's Studies, Sexuality, Pop Culture

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Jane, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Jane Caputi is Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Florida Atlantic University. She grew up in Huntington Long Island in a large family. Her first job was at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, which she loved, especially because she learned so much from the Indigenous cultures there. But Albuquerque is literally high and dry and in 1997 she moved back to the ocean, taking a job at FAU.  She has written four books, most recently Call Your “Mutha’”: A Deliberately Dirty-Minded Manifesto for the Earth Mother in the Anthropocene (Oxford University Press, 2020). She also has made two educational documentaries, The Pornography of Everyday Life (2006) distributed by Berkeley Media and Feed the Green: Feminist Voices for the Earth (2016), distributed by Women Make Movies.

Dr. Caputi was FAU’s Distinguished Teacher for 2001 and received FAU’s Research and Scholarly Activities award (Professor level) for 2005 and for 2012. In 2016, she was named Eminent Scholar of the Year by the American Culture/Popular Culture Association and in 2020 the Association for the Study of Women in Mythology gave her their annual “Saga Award” for contributions to women’s history and culture.

Expertise: Broadway

Available for in-person lectures in: Naples/Ft. Myers

Available via Zoom? No

To book Harriet, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Harriet Howard Heithaus became intrigued with theater from childhood, when her family took her to summer stock musicals and community theaters. She has never lost that love for an affecting melody or a gripping story. That romance did not include appearing onstage, however. She much prefers to write about it and has happily been both music and theater critic at the Naples Daily News, for which she has won a number of Florida Press Club awards, over the last 15 years. Before that, the native Buckeye has worked for newspapers in Ohio and Indiana, where she was a government and political writer who volunteered to review to rock concerts whenever possible. Everyone could see where this was leading.

Expertise: Philosophy, Religion

Available for in-person lectures in: Naples/Ft. Myers

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Mike, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Michael McGowan is a Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Florida Southwestern State College. He publishes and speaks on the relationship between popular art, ethics, political philosophy, and religion. He earned graduate degrees from Yale University, University of South Florida, and Claremont Graduate University. His latest book is titled, Speaking Words of Wisdom: The Beatles and Religion, published by Penn State University Press in spring 2024. He has also recently contributed chapters to Saturday Night Live and Philosophy as well as The Good Place and Philosophy. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today, the Journal of Religion and Film, the Journal of Human Rights, the Teaching Philosophy journal, and the Teaching Ethics journal, where he also served on the Editorial Board.

Expertise: Classic Films

Available for in-person lectures in: Tampa/St. Pete

Available via Zoom? No

To book Bob, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

A Floridian since the ‘50s, Bob Ross is a graduate of Ocala High School and Eckerd College, where he wrote for the campus paper and discovered the joy of inflicting his opinions on others. After working as a proofreader, rock music critic and bureau reporter — and a stint managing Tampa’s first video rental store — Bob joined the Tampa Tribune as film critic in 1985. The job lasted 22 years, until it vanished along with much of the daily newspaper industry. Since retiring in 2008, Bob has remained active as a reviewer and contributor on WMNF radio and WTVT-TV Fox 13 in Tampa. A founding member of the Florida Film Critics Circle, Bob is known for his vast trivia knowledge and terrible puns.

Expertise: Broadway

Available for in-person lectures in: Tampa/St. Pete

Available via Zoom? No

To book Andrew, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Andrew Meacham studied theater and philosophy at Eckerd College, graduating in 1983. Along the way, he performed in dozens of plays and musicals while working in the construction trades and freelancing the occasional newspaper story. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of South Florida in 2004, joining the Tampa Bay Times in 2005. He became the newspaper’s performing arts critic in 2015, primarily covering theater, opera, and orchestra until his retirement at the end of 2018. His work that year earned Andrew the Society of Professional Journalists‘ Sunshine State Award for arts reporting, and another First Place in criticism from SPJ’s Green Eyeshade Awards, which covers the Southeastern United States.

Expertise:
Classic Movies, Film History

Available for in-person lectures in:
Central Florida

Available via Zoom?
No

To book Frank, e-mail:
dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Frank Eberling made his first film in Florida 57 years ago. Since then he has made over 3,500 film and television programs, including over 100 documentaries for Florida PBS, as writer, producer, director, cinematographer. He wrote and directed two micro-budget feature films, including one with Burt Reynolds. He also served as a college instructor for twenty-six years, and taught alongside Burt Reynolds for ten years at the Burt Reynolds’ Institute for Film & Theatre. Along the way he has won numerous awards, including a CINE/Golden Eagle, and an EMMY®, and was the first winner of The Florida Governor’s Screenwriting Competition in 1985.

Expertise: Classical Music & Opera

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Betsy, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Music historian Betsy Schwarm spent a dozen years on the air at the vintage KVOD radio, "The Classical Voice of Denver." She has also taught university-level music appreciation, but is especially known for her user-friendly approach to talking about classical music. She gives pre-performance talks for Opera Colorado, has frequently spoken at the Colorado Symphony, and has written ten books on classical music as part of her Classical Music Insights series. The most recent of these is Classical Music Insights:  Between the Wars (2021). More than 200 of her articles are available on Encyclopædia Britannica online. Additionally, she writes for classical performers and organizations throughout the US and abroad, and teaches for the University of Denver Enrichment program, as well as other organizations.

Expertise: Medieval & Renaissance Art, Poster Art Of The 1960s

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? No

To book Scott, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Scott B Montgomery is Professor of Art History at the University of Denver, where he teaches classes on Medieval art, Renaissance art, and the art of the 1960s poster movement. His books include Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins of Cologne. Relics, Reliquaries and the Visual Culture of Group Sanctity in Late Medieval Europe (Whitney: Peter Lang Press, 2009) and Casting Our Own Shadows: Recreating the Medieval Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (co-authored with Alice A. Bauer) (New Orleans: University Press of the South, 2012). He has published numerous articles on saints in medieval art, pilgrimage, relics and reliquaries, and 1960s psychedelic poster art. His award willing documentary film, The Tale of the Dog (produced with Dan Obarski) was released in 2020.

Expertise: Bird Habitats, Feedings & Identification

Available for in-person lectures in: Denver

Available via Zoom? No

To book Leslie, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Leslie Clemensen is an Audubon Trained Naturalist and Certified Backyard Bird Feeding Specialist. In collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Project NestWatch and the Colorado Bluebird Project, she currently serves as an Outreach Coordinator for the Bluebird Monitoring Project with Douglas Land Conservancy. Leslie leads bird walks and hikes in the Douglas County area and is employed by Wild Birds Unlimited. Leslie is a retired educator and Colorado native who is passionate about connecting people with nature and helping all enjoy birds and other wildlife in their backyards and beyond.

Expertise: Classical & Pop Music

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Karen, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Professor Karen Painter has taught music history to musicians and non-majors for nearly three decades—at Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and since 2007 at the University of Minnesota. An expert on musical listening in past eras, Painter loves engaging with a broader public on the subject of classical music, music in film, and popular music. She has organized scholarly events for the public, working with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Ojai Festival, the Berlin Academy, and the Friends of the Salzburg Festival. Painter’s past lecture venues include the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Painter has published widely in scholarly journals as well as edited or authored books with academic presses.

Expertise: Classical Music, Ballet, Opera

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Daniel, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Daniel E. Freeman is a music historian of international repute born in Everett, Washington. He has taught music history at the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, and the University of Minnesota. He also appears regularly as a lecturer for the Smithsonian Institution. He is also a pianist with experience as a soloist and accompanist for instrumentalists, vocalists, and dancers.

Expertise: Minnesota's Caves

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Greg, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Greg Brick Ph.D. was employed as a hydrogeologist at several environmental consulting firms and has taught geology at local colleges and universities. He has published more than 200 articles and was the recipient of the 2005 Cave History Award from the National Speleological Society. His first book, Iowa Underground: A Guide to the State’s Subterranean Treasures, was published by Trails Media Group in 2004. His second book, Subterranean Twin Cities, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2009, won an award from the American Institute of Architects. His third book, Minnesota Caves: History and Lore, was published by The History Press in 2017 and was nominated for the Minnesota Book Awards. His latest project, Caves and Karst of the Upper Midwest, published in 2021, is an academic volume of contributed chapters by experts on each of the states covered. His work has been featured in National Geographic Adventure magazine as well as on the History Channel. He has led guided tours of caves for the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. He established the Minnesota Spring Inventory at the DNR and mapped thousands of springs around the state.

Expertise: Jazz & Rock n' Roll

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? No

To book John, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. John Leisenring is a long-time teacher and professional musician, having taught music for forty years, and performed as a trombonist for almost seventy years. John taught at the University of Texas-Austin, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

He has performed for some 20 years with the KC Opera Orchestra, the KC Ballet Orchestra, and as a jazz musician in some 20 states and nine foreign countries, including jazz festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin, Montreux, and Newport (twice!). John’s University teaching involved, among other coursework, classes in the History and Development of American Music, Jazz and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Expertise: American History, Civil War

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Stefan, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Stefan Lund is a Minneapolis native and with nearly a decade of experience as an educator and writer in the field of American history. He received his PhD in history in 2022 after five years of work at the University of Virginia’s John Nau Center for Civil War History and now teaches college-level U.S. history to Twin Cities area high school students. His peer-reviewed work has appeared in the Annals of Iowa historical journal and his writing about American history has been published by the Washington Post and Star Tribune. Stefan began offering adult enrichment courses focusing on nineteenth-century America in 2022 with a series of lectures on the origins of the American Civil War and another on the Civil War’s influence on American art. With a passion for the early history of the United States, Stefan enjoys discussing anything from the Revolutionary crisis to the Reconstruction period.

Expertise: Writing, Self-Publishing, Science Fiction

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis, Rochester

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Anthony, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Anthony W. Eichenlaub once spent 21 years working for a large, multinational technology company. His focus was on the coolest core software of the internet, which started with application servers and later included cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Themes from his time in tech find their way into his writing, including questions about AI that go beyond, “Is it a person?,” and the intricate and sometimes scary ways in which corporations interact with the ethical responsibilities of their workers. In his career in tech, Anthony was always a tester, so while everyone else asked, “How does it work?” his focus was on, “How does it break?”

Anthony’s stories have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, On-Spec Magazine, Little Blue Marble, and numerous anthologies including A Punk Rock Future and The Community of Magic Pens. His novels range from Minnesota technothrillers to space operas to cyberpunk Westerns. His writing philosophy is that even the most serious science fiction should be absurdly fun. Anthony teaches writing in his local community and is a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. He is a proud member of the Rochester Writers Group and a member and volunteer of SFWA.

In 2020, Anthony left his career in tech to pursue writing and the far more satisfying life of a stay-at-home dad. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys landscaping, woodworking, and long walks with his lazy dog.

Expertise: Movie Memorabilia, Marketing

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Rob, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

First-time author, and an avid movie buff, Rob Feeney earned his Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Adler Graduate School in 2008. A previous fine arts student, and professional fine artist, Rob has held several successful corporate responsibilities in sales and marketing for some of America’s favorite brands before finding himself unemployed assuming the role of publicist and spokesperson for the Judy Garland Children’s Museum. With the museum he made a major contribution to the “stolen” ruby slippers recovery efforts that generated global news coverage in every major media outlet between 2013-2018, such as TIME and Rolling Stone magazine, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bizarre, Newsweek, and the National Examiner. Now employed by a top Global Life Safety and Security company, Rob's contribution to the recovery of the ruby slippers also led to features on the “Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” Inside Edition,” and an appearance on the History Channel’s 16th season of “Pawn Stars.” Rob resides in Minneapolis with his beautiful 14-year old daughter, killer police dog, and black cat named “Elsie.”

Expertise: Artist, Author and Social Scientist

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Lucy, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Lucy Rose Fischer, PhD, is an award-winning Minnesota artist, author, and social scientist. She had a distinguished 25-year career as a researcher in aging and was honored as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America for “outstanding achievement and exemplary contributions to the field of aging.” She is the author of six books—her most recent titles are The Journalist: Life and Loss in America’s Secret War; Grow Old With Me, and I’m New at Being Old. As an artist, she specializes in creating fanciful and colorful designs on glass—painting upside-down, inside-out and backwards on hand blown glass. She is the founder and coordinator of the Interfaith Artist Circle of the Twin Cities. Lucy Rose is featured on the Twin Cities Public Television programs “The Creative Power of Aging” and “Life Changing Art.”

Expertise: Oncology, End-Of-Life Necessities

Available for in-person lectures in: Rochester, Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Edward, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Edward Creagan is a cancer specialist who practiced for more than forty Minnesota winters until he transitioned from active clinical practice in late 2018. Dr. Ed (as he is known) received his medical training at New York Medical College and earned graduate degrees in internal medicine and oncology at the University of Michigan and the National Cancer Institute. He is the author of over 500 scientific papers and has given more than 1,000 presentations throughout the world, including his home state of New Jersey. An avid marathoner and golfer, father of three sons, and grandfather of two grandsons, Dr. Creagan and his wife, Peggy, live with two rescue Golden Retrievers, one of whom is blind, in Rochester, Minnesota.

Expertise: Health & Aging

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Janice, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Janice Novak has a Masters Degree in Health & Physical Education. She is an internationally acclaimed, best-selling author, speaker and wellness consultant who teaches workshops and seminars for hospitals, corporations and professional organizations. She developed her unique posture program over twenty years of working with individual clients and teaching thousands of workshops. Janice empowers people to take action toward attaining better health. Her easy-to-use techniques are informational and motivational and can easily be integrated into daily life. She presents up-to-date info on pertinent health/wellness topics that can improve productivity, alertness, energy and motivation. She has been quoted as the country's premier expert on posture in national and regional publications and broadcasts, including the Oprah Winfrey Show discussing her best selling book, "Posture, Get It Straight!".

Expertise: Marriage, Divorce, & LBGTQ+

Available for in-person lectures in: Mankato

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Aaron, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Aaron Hoy, Ph.D., is an award-winning scholar and teacher with expertise on families, sexuality, and gender. He is currently an associate professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he engages in research on marriage, divorce, and LGBTQ+ communities and issues. In 2018, he completed his Ph.D. at Syracuse University, where he conducted the first research study on same-sex divorce in the United States. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed studies, and his most recent books include The Social Science of Same-Sex Marriage: LGBT People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality (Routledge, 2022) and The Sociology of Families Reader: Issues, Perspectives, and Debates (Cognella, 2024).

Expertise: Advertising & Marketing

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis/St. Paul

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Mark, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Mark joined the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty full-time as a Senior Lecturer in 2018 after being an adjunct at the University of Minnesota for 15 years. His work experience includes 35 years of building brands at ad agencies in Chicago and Minneapolis. He has led marketing communication efforts for an all-star list of companies including Andersen Windows, Catholic Health Initiatives, ConAgra, General Mills, HealthPartners, Johnsonville Sausage, Kraft, Land 'O Lakes, Marvin Windows, Medtronic, Pillsbury, Polaris, and Tropicana.

Expertise: Broadway

Available for in-person lectures in: Chicago

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Charles, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Charles Troy is a retired graphic designer and former theatre lyricist who has developed more than fifty multimedia presentations on musical theatre subjects. During the pandemic, he has converted these presentations into videos, which he presents virtually. These videos combine his own original graphics with historic photos, edited audio tracks with the lyrics displayed onscreen, and illustrative video clips — all coordinated with a voiceover narrative, evolved from his extensive research, that weaves the pertinent events into a dramatic tale. Half of these videos are 80 to 90-minute programs on the stories behind many of the great musicals. Charles is based in the Chicago area.

Expertise: The Golden Age of Music, Radio & TV

Available for in-person lectures in: N/A

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Rich, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Rich is a native son of Brooklyn, NY where he attended Brooklyn College and later earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Baruch College. After moving to Merrick, NY he began a long tenure as Director of Mathematics for the Copiague Public Schools. Following his retirement after 38 years as a school teacher and administrator, he began to develop a series of multimedia presentations based on his first love, the performing arts. His list of over 70 programs includes Broadway musicals, film, and opera, but Rich specializes in 20th century song writers and vocalists, and radio and television programs of the "Golden Age," for Hudak On Hollywood. Currently Rich is a resident of Omaha, Nebraska where he continues to present programs virtually via Zoom.

Expertise: The Golden Age Of Television

Available for in-person lectures in: The Golden Age Of Television

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Brian, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Brian Rose is a professor emeritus at Fordham University, where he taught for 38 years in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming, and conducted more than a hundred Q&A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America. Over the last decade, he’s presented more than 500 lectures at libraries and cultural organizations around the country, including the Smithsonian, the 92nd St. Y, Film Forum in New York City, OLLI in Washington DC and JCC’s in New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and Boca Raton.

Expertise: FBI & Homeland Security

Available for in-person lectures in: N/A

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Gregory, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Gregory M. Vecchi has over 30 years of law enforcement experience and he is a U.S. Army veteran.  He is the retired Chief of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit and career crisis negotiator and served as an instructor at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. During his career, Dr. Vecchi investigated Russian organized crime, international drug trafficking, international and domestic terrorism, and violent crime. In these positions, he gained extensive experience assessing and interacting with violent offenders, which he incorporates into his research, training, and consultation activities at SafeDefend.

Dr. Vecchi has extensive experience in teaching and training. He is a Professor of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Homeland Security, where he develops and teaches courses at the master’s and doctoral levels. Dr. Vecchi is the Principal at Vecchi Group International LLC, where he conducts advanced law enforcement training in threat assessment, crisis negotiation, firearms, and defensive tactics. He is also a court recognized expert witness in violence, law enforcement policy and procedures, interviewing and interrogation, and confirmation bias.

 

Expertise: Various Subjects, including the British Royal Family & Books

Available for in-person lectures in: N/A

Available via Zoom? No

To book Margery, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Margery Marcus, an award-winning educator, has turned her talent for storytelling to adult audiences. She appears in person regularly at county clubs, Lifelong Learning Institutes, and community clubhouses throughout South Florida. She perfected her Zooming skills during the pandemic, entertaining audiences across the United States. She is known for her colorful PowerPoint lectures and engaging style. Her fascination with the British Royal family is well-known -- she was dubbed a “royal watcher” by The Palm Beach Post and local television stations, and her royals’ presentations are both informative and entertaining. Dr. Marcus always captures the newest, most relevant information in her talks, including Book Censorship in America. She earned her B. A. degree in English from the College of New Jersey, a Master’s in Education from the University of North Carolina, and a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Expertise: Shipwrecks

Available for in-person lectures in: N/A

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Ric, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Ric Mixter puts on thousands of miles each year as one of the most requested historians on the Great Lakes. He has written dozens of articles that have appeared on the covers of Michigan HIstory Magazine, The Beacon and Michigan's Chronicle. He has written and hosted over 30 shows on PBS stations airing all around the midwest and Canada and he's been featured as an expert on Discovery and History Channels. His touring shipwreck show "STORM" has appeared to sold out audiences in 16 cities. Ric is a board member at the prestigious Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and is the president of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association. He says his greatest productions are his three kids, who are all certified divers.

Expertise: Andy knows a lot about a lot of things

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Andy, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Andy Greenberg was one of the most listened to speakers in America as a result of his national radio spot that appeared daily on 100’s of radio stations for 5 years and was heard by millions of people in a show called “Your Daily High with Andy Greenberg."

His book “Your HIgh” sold 5 times the average for a first book signing and the subject of a national Associated Press Article. He was also the host and creator of a critically acclaimed TV talk show.

Since moving to Florida full time, 7 years ago he quickly continued to be a sought-after speaker, trainer and educator, on both secular, business and Judaic topics for HOA’s, Senior Facilities, Trade Organizations, business conferences, Synagogues and Clubs and businesses. His presentation style is inter-active, humorous, educational, entertaining, and long lasting.

Background
His accomplishments include managing the marketing and sales of several $60,000,000 businesses, creating and launching 12 new products and rebranding a national company. He has won several national awards, quoted in USA Today, Associated Press, Inc Magazine, Omaha World Herald, Strictly Business Magazine, and Business Midlands Journal, Business to Business Magazine and in various local news broadcasts.

He is married for 53 years, visited 101 countries, all 50 states and every major league ballpark, 2 World Series Games, 1 All-Star and Home Run Derby and one world boxing championship. His sales career started by selling shoes door to door in New York City at age 18.

Although active in speaking and training for over 11 years, in July 2009 he started “ Speaking of Andy Greenberg” a life and business building based company that through presentations, seminars, consulting and coaching he shares and teaches individuals and businesses how to stay motivated, excel in sales, marketing, leadership, networking. customer service and life.

Three months later “Getting UP with Andy Greenberg” was featured on Omaha’s most listened to daily radio show “The Good Morning Show with Gary Sadlemyer on 1110 KFAB. The segment provided daily innovative insights on keeping motivated all day. Over 1,300 vignettes were created! The show went national 1.5 years later and then Andy produced and created a TV Show and wrote a book.

His thoughts and ideas are frequently featured in 3 leading South Florida publications.

He has also been voted the 4th best dressed in Omaha!

Expertise: American, Jewish, Zionism, & Sephardic Studies

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Miriam, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Miriam Sanua Dalin grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and attended James Madison High School, (as did Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bernie Sanders, and Chuck Schumer in earlier generations) and lived in Manhattan for several years before moving to Florida to take a position at Florida Atlantic University in the Department of History and the Jewish Studies Program, where she specializes in American Jewish history and the history of Israel. She attended Princeton University as an undergraduate and received her doctorate from Columbia University, and she also did graduate work at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She also studied Yiddish language and literature at New York’s YIVO Institute through its renowned summer immersion program. She has published widely, including three books and numerous articles including most recently an article about Jews and the 2016 Presidential election that was published in the American Jewish Year Book. She has been a scholar-in-residence and lecturer at numerous venues over the years in the New York and Boca Raton areas, including synagogues, Temples, community centers and residential communities. She served as the Academic Adviser on the Jewish community oral history project of the Boca Raton Historical Society and hopes to create an exhibition and book on the history of the Jews of Boca Raton.

Expertise: Israeli-Arab relations, Latin America, Anti-Semitism

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Luis, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Luis Fleischman is a professor of Sociology at Palm Beach State College and the founding co-chair of the Palm Beach Center for Democracy, a recently created think-tank based in Florida.

Previously he worked for the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Florida, and in Central New Jersey for more than two decades as Executive Director for community and political relations. He has taught multiple courses about the Middle East; democracy and dictatorship; Latin America; Political Sociology; conservative and neo-conservative thought, and the sociology of rogue states. He is also an active member of the Academic Engagement Network, which aims to promote productive ways to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Fleischman has also written congressional testimonies on Latin American affairs, regularly provided briefings to members of Congress and staffers, and speaks at national and public conferences alongside high-ranking government officials, including members of Congress and national experts. Fleischman holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the New School for Social Research in New York City, an M.A. from the New School, and a B.A. in Political Science and Labor Studies from Tel Aviv University. Lectures available in English, Spanish and Hebrew.

Expertise: Florida History, South Florida Past & Present

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Sylvia, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Sylvia Gurinsky was born in Miami and is a lifelong South Floridian. A Florida International University graduate, she worked as an editorial writer and public affairs producer for WPLG-Channel 10, as an editor and reporter for the Sun-Sentinel's community news division and as an educator at HistoryMiami Museum.

She is currently an education guide at Flamingo Gardens; a women's leadership development instructor for the Girls Empowerment and Mentoring summer program of the Miami-Dade County Women's Park; and a presenter for the lifelong learning programs of Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University and Nova Southeastern University. For the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, she co-hosts the television series "Roadside Florida," about Florida destinations of years past. Her honors have included Florida Associated Press Awards for Editorial Writing and a Peter Jennings Project Fellowship for Journalists and the Constitution at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Expertise: Jewish History & Humor

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? No

To book Stephen, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

A lifelong Chicagoan and now a seasonal Florida resident, Dr. Stephen Z. Cohen holds masters and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago. For more than 40 years he was a distinguished educator at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago teaching social group work practice and group psychotherapy. An early expert in the field of gerontology and services to the elderly, he co-authored a book, The Other Generation Gap: The Middle Aged and Their Aging Parents, named ‘Best Non-Fiction of the Year’ by The Society of Midland Authors. He is fluent in Hebrew.

A tried and true presenter that always delivers, Dr. Cohen is also a consultant, entertainer, humorist, freshwater fisherman and lecturer. He’s been vetted and presented by prestigious Jewish and Yiddish arts, cultural, educational, fundraising and religious organizations at hundreds of venues across the country. With a demand for high quality programming and so large a winter population of Jewish residents and visitors, much of his work during the past 15 years has been in South Florida.

Expertise: Biology & Oncology

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Chris, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Dr. Christopher J. Hickey is a cancer molecular biologist who specializes in cancer experimental therapeutics. Dr. Hickey is originally from Columbus, Ohio and completed his doctoral training at The Ohio State University where his research was focused on leukemia experimental therapeutics. Following his doctoral training, he completed additional training as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow while investigating breast cancer experimental therapeutics at The Mitchell Cancer Institute located in Mobile, Alabama. Currently, Dr. Hickey has an active cancer research laboratory in West Palm Beach and continues his research in developing experimental therapies for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. His award-winning cancer research has been recognized at the international and national levels. Moreover, his laboratory breakthroughs have been published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals. Dr. Hickey currently lives in West Palm Beach, Florida and he enjoys scuba diving in his very limited free time.

Expertise: Philosophy, Classics, Art Studies

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Carol, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Carol Steinberg Gould is Emerita Professor of Philosophy at Florida Atlantic University and Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Future Mind in the FAU Brain Center. She is a Philosophical Practitioner certified to work with individuals and organizations. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, The American Philosophical Association, The American Society for Aesthetics, and American Philosophical Practitioners Association, among other societies. She is Associate Editor of the leading international journal in the field of Philosophical Practice (sometimes called ‘philosophical counseling.’). She spearheaded the founding of both the Jewish Studies and Classical Studies Program at FAU and has twice won the FAU University Award for Teaching Excellence. She has lectured in the community on many topics ranging from the trial of Adolph Eichmann to Plato on love, and the ethics of women in ground combat.

Expertise: Optimizing Abilities, Positive Energy

Available for in-person lectures in: South Florida

Available via Zoom? No

To book Minx, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

The 2023 recipient of the Women’s Foundation of Florida Judith Selzer Icon Award for her generous years of service to WFFL and her ongoing work in the community empowering women and girls, Minx Boren, a Master Certified Coach (MCC), develops and presents innovative programs that support health and balance, reflection and achievement. Minx is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation, and is also trained in Positive Psychology, the Art of Convening, Purposeful Leadership, Positive Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Conversational Intelligence, Brain By Design, and more. She focuses on supporting her audience and clients to discern what truly motivates and inspires them, what arouses their curiosity and sparks their creativity, and, above all, what brings them joy, satisfaction, and a sense of fulfillment.

Minx is author of more than 25 books and workbooks and writes for several online publications. As a community activist, she has served extensively on several boards in Palm Beach County, is the 2013-14 president of Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, and is a recipient of the Giraffe Award presented by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Minx is also involved with sustainable living initiatives including, because of her background in nutrition and wellness, offering programs on healthwise living and navigating current food (mis)information and choices. Her current focus is on exploring with olders what it means to grow into our later years with gratitude, gusto, grit, and grace. As an adjunct professor at FAU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, she offers courses on such topics as  Navigating the WiseWo/Man Years as well as various programs centered on Flourishing at Every Age and Living Joyely©.

 

Expertise: Holocaust Remembrance

Available for in-person lectures in: South FL

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book David, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

David Groen is an author and public speaker, with most of his work focused on the plight of Dutch Jewry during the Holocaust and the events surrounding his family. His first published book is "Jew Face: A story of love and heroism in Nazi-occupied Holland". Through the book, and David's website Holland's Heroes hollandsheroes.com, a violin that belonged to his uncle, a victim of Auschwitz, found its way back to David and his family. More details are available on bramsviolin.com, the website David created to help tell this story. He has spoken in various synagogues and institutions, most recently at Boca Raton Synagogue, Chabad Jewish Center of Coral Springs, The Jewish museum of Miami Beach, and 2 synagogues in Boynton Beach, Temple Beth Kodesh and Anshei Chesed. He is working on his second book which tells a broader history leading up to the remarkable story of the violin. David is also a Cantor for the High Holidays at Beth Tovim in Philadelphia.

Expertise: U.S. Intelligence Agencies, Research, Family History

Available for in-person lectures in: South FL, Everywhere

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Lisa, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

Lisa Maddox is a former intelligence officer, having worked in various roles at NCIS, the State Department and the CIA for 15 years. Her work focused on combatting terrorism and supporting US efforts in Afghanistan during the war. During that time she developed unique research and investigative skills, which led to the founding of Family History Intelligence, a company that conducts extensive research on family backgrounds and digitizes the findings into private websites to share with family members and to preserve for future generations. Her services have been noted in several publications, including The Washingtonian.

Expertise: Guitar, Music In Movies, Rock n' Roll

Available for in-person lectures in: Minneapolis

Available via Zoom? Yes

To book Moma, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com

After winning 1st prize at the prestigious Hong Kong Altamira International Guitar Competition in 2018, Momcilo “Moma” Aleksandric toured the world as a performer and lecturer by appearing at events such as the 2018 Thailand International Guitar Festival (Bangkok), 2019 ShenZhen Fuge International Guitar Week (China), 2019 Melbourne Guitar Winter Celebration (Australia), 2019 Heredia’s Universidad Nacional International Artist Series (Costa Rica), and many others. He is equally devoted to solo and chamber music guitar performance, music composition, and historical/theoretical research. His article concerning Miguel Llobet’s work was published by the Guitar Foundation of America’s Soundboard Journal (2019), and he presented his compositional research at the 50th Guitar Foundation of America’s Convention in NYC (2023). He is dedicated to teaching students of various ages and backgrounds on multiple topics, from classical guitar performance to historical topics related to rock music, history of guitar, and music and movies.