Build-er. A person who constructs something by putting parts or materials together over a period of time. Sonny Bonacio’s picture is next to that definition. No one builds better than Bonacio. Founded in 1988, Bonacio is a privately-owned company creating visionary projects that enhance the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities it serves. Sonny is CEO of an organization of approx. 200 — in four divisions, Construction, Development, Management, and Steel — that he built and co-manages with his wife-and-partner, company-President Julie Bonacio. Sonny builds buildings, teams, and Cities. How dya’ build a City? Ask Sonny at Camp David 25.

In “Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age,” award-winning journalist (The Wall Street Journal) Gwendolyn Bounds tells the inspiring story of her unlikely midlife journey to master the daunting sport of obstacle course racing – a powerful, science-based account of the change possible at any age if we push limits. Now, back at The Journal as SVP & Head of Content, WSJ Leadership Institute — and back to Camp David — Wendy leads our discussion on personal performance. Wendy’s a force of nature. UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard Kennedy School-educated, a news and literary pro of the highest order, Wendy’s one of our favorite “Campers,” ever. Oh, and she’d be pleased to sign her new book for you — we got you a copy.

Appointed by Barack Obama, Allison Burroughs is United States District Court Judge for the District of Massachusetts. A product of Middlebury College and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Judge Burroughs has presided over some of the most important civil rights cases in recent times, including current matters related to Harvard College’s enrollment of foreign students. Judge Burroughs presided over the 2020 landmark case involving Harvard’s alleged bias against Asian-American applicants. In November 2020, the Boston appeals court affirmed Burroughs’ opinion, noting that it complied with previous Supreme Court rulings. Judge Burroughs is an honored guest at Camp David; we hope to learn from her thinking.

Co-Leader of BakerHostetler’s Financial Services Industry Team, Margaret Butler is a leading lawyer to family offices, institutional investors and asset managers on fund investments and M&A. Harvard/Columbia(JD,MBA)-educated, Margaret spent her formative professional years at Wachtell Lipton, then transitioned to technology investment banking at Jeffries & Co., before returning to the law. Along the way, she founded War Chest Women, BrashNYC and also serves as outside General Counsel of cmorq, a personal finance enterprise “built on DeFi rails, powered by AI.” Hear Margaret on corporate law and family enterprise at Camp David 25

David Deutsch is a veteran investment banker and boardmember. The strategic financial advisor of leading closely-held companies and the original “Board Advisor,” David is founder/president of David N. Deutsch & Company (mergers & acquisitions) and TheBoardAdvisor (board advisory), managing member of The Presidents Council (senior execs who gather regularly for fraternity, education and making group private equity investments), and founder/host of The Saratoga Weekend (aka “Camp David”). Est. in 1993, DNDCo is known for the quality and scope of its advice, its long-term relationships, and its success in 130+ assignments. David was a founding Trustee of the Museum of American Finance (Smithsonian) where he chaired the Nominating Committee to the Board, served as Treasurer and Vice Chmn., was a member of the Board of Earth Day Network (the nexus of all global Earth Day activities), and is a long-time Board-member and Treasurer of BRANY, among other prominent board roles. When David’s not banking, advising boards, or investing, he’s a single-Dad to three above-average children, a Triathlete and a studies Krav Maga, the hand-to-hand combat system of the Israel Defense Forces.

Drew Gardner is CEO of legendary Finch Paper. Founded in 1865, Finch (formerly Finch Pruyn) began manufacturing lumber, canal boats, lime and prized black marble, and was once the largest private landowner in New York State (with 202,045 acres of timberland); Finch sold much of that land to The Nature Conservancy. A product of GE and The Blackstone Group, Drew joined Private Equity firm Atlas Holdings in 2019, then its portfolio company Finch Paper and became CEO this year. Hear Drew on Paper, Process and PE. And on success through “continuous diversification.”

NPR’s 15 Northeast public radio stations (WAMC) are long-time friends and partners of Camp David. They have their work cut-out for them. And, their new CEO, Sarah Gilbert, is the person for the job. Sarah spent her early career in public media at the BBC in London and Brussels. In 2006, she relocated to Washington D.C. to oversee BBC election coverage. After a stint in LA as Managing Editor of American Public Media’s “Marketplace” (supported by DNDCo), she returned to D.C. and joined NPR as Supervising Sr. Editor – then Executive Producer – of “Morning Edition,” and then Vice President of all News Programming. Sarah pushed NPR into the digital age, creating and producing “Up First,” one of the earliest and still strongest daily news podcasts of its kind. Immediately prior to taking the helm of WAMC, Sarah was President and Chief Content Officer of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Hear how Sarah leads at Camp David 25.

You can’t Build a City without “Public Works.” Now General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner of the NY State Department of Corrections, Jason Golub is Saratoga’s immediate past Commissioner of Public Works. A Columbia University educated ‘big-law’ attorney (K&L Gates, WilmerHale) with ‘big-corporate’ cred (K2 Integrity, Bridgewater Associates, and General Electric), Jason is now centered in New York’s Capital Region. He’s our kind of multi-disciplinary thinker: an urban planning pro with legal and business perspectives as well.

Chuck Kish and “Hot Club” are one of Saratoga’s most celebrated bands. Think gypsy swing, the timeless sounds of Django Reinhardt, and 1930s Paris. Hot Club are a tough ticket to get, but they’re with us all night at our Friday evening dinner and program at the Saratoga Automobile Museum in the Spa State Park. Tour the Museum – it’s ours for the evening – hear Darrin Jahnel on building “special teams,” and vibe with Chuck and Hot Club with Camp David’s other attendees, presenters and special guests.

Camp David 25’s Friday evening’s dinner features a program on corporate culture led by Darrin Jahnel, an award-winning leader who specializes in building special teams (and who, with his partners, also built a one-of-a-kind horseracing App – just in time for our Day at the Races on Saturday!). Darrin says he’s lucky to have been a part of several “special teams” as a young athlete, and that his early challenges and wins shaped his unique leadership style. Today, Darrin runs a super-successful, 140-person, software development company. Darrin’s a dynamo. You can’t not be engaged by him at Camp David 25.

Minnesota-raised and Notre Dame / Univ. Michigan-educated, Dan is a private-equity and private-debt veteran. For the last 12 years, Dan was a senior partner and one of the driving forces behind Comvest Group — the FL-based, leading private debt and equity fund investor. Now at Garnett Station Partners, the NYC-based PE firm, Dan has swapped hats and is more of a “deal sponsor.” What does all that mean? And, what’s currently happening in the private equity and private debt markets? Ask Dan at Camp David.

A foreign policy expert (his articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, USA Today, The Hill, and many others), Richard is also a family business member, and co-founder of the Cade Museum of Innovation with his wife, Phoebe Cade Miles (whose father, Dr. James Robert Cade, invented Gatorade). Since co-founding the Museum, Richard was Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Previously, he served as a career Foreign Service Officer with the State Department and an intelligence officer in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, defending the Iron Curtain in the closing years of the Cold War, and participated in combat operations in Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Hear Richard on family businesses, family offices, innovation and foreign policy at Camp David 25.

Dan Nolan is CEO of Graypoint LLC. After 28 years as a partner of The Ayco Company (the pioneering planning-as-executive-benefit organization), where Dan provided tax, investment and planning advice to Ayco’s highest net worth clients, he founded and led Ayco’s “Special Investment Group,” creating venture, private equity and hedge fund strategies. Dan and his partners’ sold Ayco to Goldman Sachs; then Dan led the Ayco/Goldman integration. A long-time friend of Camp David’s, Dan joined another old friend, legendary Wall Street strategist, Hugh Johnson, in 2010. Since then, Dan-and-team have built one of the nation’s premier “multi-family offices.” There’s a family behind every closely-held company. And, Dan and Graypoint are the planning, tax and investment team behind many of the best of them.

A product of GE’s Global Supply Chain and Financial Planning & Analysis and Finance functions and The Blackstone Group, Tyler Rajeski joined Private Equity firm, Atlas Holdings, then joined its portfolio company, Twin Rivers Paper, as VP Finance. He rose quickly through the ranks to CFO, then President, and now CEO. In his high school days, Tyler played varsity football and was Varsity Cheer-leading Captain. Tyler has the toughness of the former and the energy of the latter. Hear him on Paper, Process and PE at Camp David.

Listen for Harry as you enter the Franklin Square Historic District; look for him on the porch of our Camp David headquarters. Harry is a super-talented vocalist – and a helluva nice guy – whose “Mack The Knife” rivals Bobby Darin’s. Harry is our kind of old-school entertainer. Ask him to sing your favorites from the 60s or 70s. He’ll invite you to join-in!

Since the beginning of the Saratoga Weekend, Saratoga Spring’s Mayor – both sides of the aisle – have welcomed our guests to the City of Health, History and Horses. We’re honored that Saratoga’s new Mayor, the honorable John F. Safford, is upholding this tradition. Fmr Army Lieutenant (led SRU#4 Japan, a Top Secret-C Intelligence Task Force) and founder of Retco Inc.,, John played a pivotal role in another enterprise, TNTMororg, and its explosive growth, before turning his attention to real estate and city government. We welcome ‘Hizzoner’ as he shares his vision for Saratoga Springs.

Elizabeth is CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (“SPAC”), one of America’s most prestigious outdoor venues and Summer home of the NYC Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Little Theater, Saratoga Jazz Festival, and countless Live Nation headline events. Formerly President & CEO of Universal Music Classics and Managing Director of IMG Artists in North/South America, Ms. Sobol helped build IMG Artists over nearly three decades (nurturing the careers of some of the world’s most respected artists, including violinist Joshua Bell). She’s led — and greatly strengthened — SPAC since 2016. Ms. Sobol is also an accomplished classical musician, having studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory and in piano performance at the NC School of the Arts. Elizabeth knows for-profits, not-for-profits, and leadership. She’ll share her thoughts at Camp David 25.

“Charlie” Wait is CEO of The Adirondack Trust Company, a quintessential community bank (with 47% local market share) and a family business itself. Since its founding in 1901, the  bank has grown to more than $1 billion in assets and 14 branches. Charlie took the helm in 2020 (100 years after his grandfather, Newman ‘Pete” Wait, joined the bank and in the year of Covid). As Charlie said at the time, “No one wants to live in times like these, but you don’t get to decide that. What you get to decide – and I’m paraphrasing Gandalf [from Lord of the Rings] – is what you do with the time you’re given.” Cornell grad, turned Jones Day lawyer, Charlie has charted new paths for the bank. And, in the not-for-profit world too — he was just elected Chairman of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (think NYC Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra). Hear Charlie on for-profit, and not-for-profit, leadership at Camp David 25.

Former U.S. Comptroller General and most recently, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, The Honorable David Walker returns to Camp David. Dave is a leading government advisor, having received Presidential appointments with unanimous Senate confirmation from Presidents Reagan, Bush (41), and Clinton, including serving as CEO of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Dave has served on countless domestic and international boards and advisory committees including as Public Trustee of Social Security and Medicare and Chair of the UN Independent Audit Advisory Committee. He is also one of the national Co-Founders of No Labels. His most recent book, “America in 2040: Still a Superpower” was published in 2020 and updated in 2022. Dave Walker is one of the smartest people we know about budgets, deficits and what to do about ‘em.

Nearly 7,300 people have summited Mount Everest, only 4,133 have ever swum the English Channel – Sandy Wollman is one of them. Sandy has completed three Ironman Triathlons, the Swim Around Manhattan and was only the 470th individual to successfully swim the English Channel. Sandy is a master of many things: textile manufacturing, product development and invention, venture investing, building communities, and incredible personal discipline. Today, he is a leading angel investor and member of the Board of the national Angel Capital Association. Hear Sandy, at Camp David, on business, discipline, fun, and what to do “when the going gets tough.”

Considered Washington’s leading nutritionist in the field of weight loss and management, for 30 years Janet Zalman has led programs at the White House, for CNN, and for many of America’s leading corporations. In our panel “Pushing Limits,” we gotta’ address nutrition and weight-management before we can tackle English Channel swims, Tough Mudder races, and marathon M&A transactions. Hear Janet “weigh-in” with her decades of clinical experience (or ask her your own questions, privately) at Camp David 25.