I’m a New Yorker born in Niagara Falls, NY. I grew up in an Italian family, my mother from Calabria, and my father born in Boston to parents from Sicily and Veneto. The customs, songs and language of Italy were part of my growing up. I have often traveled to Italy for pleasure and to meet relatives, and in college I studied Italian. Since graduating with a BA and MA from Indiana University, I’ve had a diverse career in performing arts, public relations, marketing and social services. For many years I was an independent
producer and event planner, creating dozens of videos on social justice issues, and multi-media
presentations for corporate training and fundraising events. In 2021, I relocated to Santa Rosa from
New York City, where I had retired as the director of a performing arts center in Manhattan. In that
capacity, I was able to present many plays in Italian. When I moved to be near three grandchildren, I was also delighted to find the NBICF and am honored to be a part of this Foundation that brings Italian
awareness and culture to the community.