“From Finland to Stardom: An Evening with Taina Elg”

Finlandia Foundation New York Metropolitan Chapter Annual Reception in NYC

The Finlandia Foundation (FF) New York Chapter held their annual cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception at The Manhattan Club in New York City, on November 12, 2015, to honor the Finlandia Foundation National 2015 Lecturer of the Year, Taina Elg.

Taina Elg was born in Finland and studied at the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki. She was “discovered” by an American movie producer in London who brought her to Hollywood where she met and performed in films with many leading stars, including Doris Day, Elizabeth Tayler, Lana Turner, Jeff Bridges and Barbara Streisand.

Heli Sirvio, a graduate of the Theatre Academy of Finland, acted as the MC. Heli is an accomplished actor. She performed in the award-winning television series Taivaan Tulet and has many stage credits in NYC. She engaged in a dialogue with Taina Elg while presenting clips from several movies that Taina Elg performed in. The most famous was her performance with Gene Kelly in the 1957 film Les Girls, photo herein, for which she received her second Golden Globe award, for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical/Comedy.

Attending on behalf of the Finnish American Lawyers Association (FALA) were from left to right in the photo: Marja Huilla (University of Helsinki graduate, court training in Kouvola, currently living in New Jersey and  working with refugee/international protection matters in the Finnish Immigration Service and in the Ministry of Interior's Migration Department); Beth Pessala, Esq. (Westbury Village Magistrate); Lauren Hakala Esq. (Senior Legal Editor at Practical Law Thomson Reuters) ; Henrikki Harsu Esq. (attorney at White & Case LLP, where his practice focuses on international capital markets matters); Kimberly Saasto (recent graduate of Touro Law School awaiting admission to NYS Bar); Robert Alan Saasto, Esq. (President of FALA); and Petra Tarby ( Aalto University business degree and para legal certificate from Marymount Manhattan College).

Joining in the photos are to the extreme left Heli Servio, MC;  in the middle with the roses Taina Elg;. Eero Kilpi, the President of the New York Chapter of FF (rear left) as well as board member Sanna Lemmetti, front left.

Photos courtesy of Sari Nordman, sarinordman.wordpress.com.

The festive occasion was an excellent opportunity to mingle, network, and socialize in an informal setting.

Robert Alan Saasto, Esq.
President FALA

Note: This article was published in the Amerikan Uutiset Nov. 25, 2015

                            
From left to right in the photo: Marja Huilla, Beth Pessala, Esq., Lauren Hakala Esq.,                    Les Girls

Henrikki Harsu Esq., Kimberly Saasto, Robert Alan Saasto, Esq., and Petra Tabry.

To the extreme left Heli Servio, in the middle with the roses Taina Elg, Eero Kilpi

and Sanna Lemmetti, front left. Photo: Sari Nordman.