National Italian American Foundation Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors
The NIAF has announced the newest members to serve on its Board of Directors, all of whom were unanimously elected during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Board of Directors Meetings
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Board of Directors brings together many of the nation's leading Italian Americans to guide the Foundation and ensure that its mission of promoting, protecting, and preserving the Italian heritage in the United States continues to be fulfilled for years to come.
The newest members of the NIAF Board of Directors include Giovanni Colavita, CEO of Colavita USA; Honorable Fucsia Nissoli Fitzgerald, a former congresswoman in the Italian Parliament; Joseph Guccione, Vice President of Security and Life Safety at The Durst Organization; Charles B. Lynch Jr., Principal at Bernstein Private Wealth Management; Patrick A. Salvi, Esq., founder of the law firm of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.; Ken Reali, former CEO of Bioventus and Clinical Innovations; Andrea Delfini, Founder and CEO of Blastness Group; Dominic A. Caglioti, a Certified Public Accountant at The Caglioti Group LLC; Gary J. Silvi, President of Vesper Property Group; The Honorable Janet Marie DiFiore, retired Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals in New York; Massimo Petrone, owner of Petrone Group and Fin Posillipo S.p.A.; and Peter Riguardi, the Chairman and President of Jones Lang LaSalle's New York Tri-state region.
NIAF Chairman Robert E. Carlucci expressed his delight at the appointment of these outstanding individuals to the Board of Directors. These leaders bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their fields and will be tremendous assets to the Foundation as it further its mission to preserve and protect the Italian American community and strengthen ties between the United States and Italy.
Giovanni Colavita, as CEO of Colavita USA, has led the company to become not only the distributor of Colavita products but also the largest distributor of Italian products in the country, representing brands like Baci Perugina, San Benedetto, Mulino Bianco, Rio Mare, Cirio, and many others. Since 2013, he has been a member of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Economic Development's Food and Wine Advisory Board.
Honorable Fucsia Nissoli Fitzgerald represented Italians living in North and Central America and in the U.S. as a congresswoman in the Italian Parliament for the last 10 years. Nissoli's notable work as a congresswoman included the promotion of the Italian language around the world and bringing the historical truth about Christopher Columbus to the attention of the Italian government. Today, Nissoli is still engaged and active in the Italian American community, working to maintain relations between both countries.
These appointments are a significant development for NIAF, as the new members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Foundation's mission and will help strengthen the ties between the United States and Italy.