Board of Directors
The Italian Language Foundation board members are leaders in the educational arena and the Italian-American community, and have a deep-seated commitment to the language and culture of Italy.
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D.
President
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D. is Co-Founder and President of the Italian Language Foundation. She is a member of the Committee to establish the AP Program in Italian, Chair of Lago del Bosco, the Italian Language Village, and a member of the National Advisory Board of Concordia Language Villages. Dr. Cuomo is also a member of Princeton University’s Advisory Council for the Department of French and Italian.
Dr. Cuomo is an honoree of the Association of Italian American Educators (2003, 2005) and the National Organization of Italian American Women (2004). In 2011, she was awarded the “Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana,” the “Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity,” by Giorgio Napolitano, president of Italy.
Louis A. Tallarini
Chairman
Mr. Tallarini is the President of Real Property Investors, Inc., a national real estate development and real estate finance company with diversified holdings in the commercial real estate and commercial real estate mortgage industries. Mr. Tallarini is former President and an active Member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation.
Lawrence Auriana
Mr. Auriana is the co-founder of the Federated Kaufmann Fund and has served as both President and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Columbus Citizens Foundation.
Claire L. Gaudiani
Since 2004, Claire L. Gaudiani served as Clinical Professor at The George H. Heyman, Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising at New York University’s School of Professional Studies. She stepped down from teaching at NYU in 2019. She has also served for 10 years as director of The Declaration Initiative, designed to advance the quality of life of those in the bottom 10 percent of the US income distribution.
Prior to 2004, Gaudiani was a Senior Research Scholar at the Yale Law School where she worked to complete a book entitled The Greater Good: How Philanthropy Drives the American Economy and Can Save Capitalism.
Dr. Gaudiani served from 1998-2001 as President of Connecticut College. Under her leadership, Connecticut College quintupled its endowment and rose in the influential U.S. News and World Report survey from No. 41 to the mid-20’s. Applications for admission rose a total of 40 percent over the last five years of her service.
Dr. Gaudiani holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in French literature from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree, also in French, from Connecticut College. Dr. Gaudiani served for five years as the volunteer president of the non-profit New London Development Corporation. She has served on the boards of numerous for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises including The Henry Luce Foundation, MBIA Inc., the Shubert Theatre, the Connecticut Center for School Change, Connecticut Legal Services Advisory Board, Public Radio International, and Citizens Bank. See detailed bio.
Elia Mannetta
Elia Mannetta is an international consultant in the fields of economic development and security. He has taught at high school and university level and lectures on topics related to Italian and Italian-American history and culture. He is an exponent of the Order of Sons of Italy in America. Since 1993, he has been a special adviser to the President of the Italian National Salvation Society. Since 2001, he has served as co-founder of the International Conference on Transport Safety.
Alfred Catalanotto
Mr. Catalanotto is the successful owner, operator and CEO of five high-profile quick service restaurants in New York City’s most heavily trafficked commuter hubs. He is a proud Italian American who served as a Board Member of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, and was Chairman of the Columbus Day Parade for over 15 years – working with notable Grand Marshals that included: director Franco Zeferelli; former Joint Chief of Staffs General Peter Pace; racing legend Mario Andretti; Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; and celebrity chef Lidia Bastanich.
Frank M. Maselli
Frank was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Frank is the President of Masbro Investment Company, Inc., and a Managing Member of Maselli Properties LLC. The American Italian Cultural Center, in New Orleans, was founded by Frank’s father, and Frank serves as its Chairman. An active member of his community, Frank serves on the boards of the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission and Opera Association. He is also a board member of the Italian American Museum in New York, and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.
Maria Luisa De Cicco, PhD
Maria Luisa DeCicco, PhD is the Director of Human Resources DeCicco & Sons, an independent grocery chain with ten stores (and constantly growing) located in Westchester and
Putnam County, NY. After earning a PhD in Information Engineering – Wireless Telecommunications in her homeland, Italy, Luisa was Visiting Scholar by Invitation at Columbia University’s esteemed Computer Science Department working on Mobility management on wireless networks, 3G networks (handoff, delay, packet loss, communication disruption) with the department dean Prof. Henning Schulzrinne. While Luisa directly oversees 1500 Team Members at DeCicco & Sons, she also actively serves on different non for profit organizations, such the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Luisa currently lives in Pelham Manor, Westchester County, NY with her husband John De
Cicco Jr and her two loving children, Elena age 14 and Gianni age 12. Luisa’s love for her home country is something that she wanted to instill in her family and she hopes to pass along her children her traditions.
Team
Heather O’Connell
Program Coordinator
Dr. Marta Muggianu
Consultant, Italy
Dott. Domenico “Mimo” Ragozzino
Press & Public Relations, Italy