Pamela Dorazio Dean is a historian, archivist and director of the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE) who preserves and celebrates Italian American history and culture. A dedicated leader whose work bridges scholarship, community, and personal legacy, Pamela stands as a powerful example of how honoring the past can help shape an elevated and vibrant future. Pamela is currently working with ISDA’s Ohio District on a new genealogy and ancestry seminar to be held this October at Cleveland’s prestigious Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), where she also works as an Associate Curator for Italian American History. Details on the genealogy seminar will be announced soon.

iamcle.org

For over a decade, Andrea Bartlett has curated high-profile Italian events in Washington, D.C. and New York City, bringing together prominent Italians and Italian Americans from around the world. Now, as the Executive Director of Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL), she spearheads the newest organization dedicated to uniting younger Italian Americans through a flagship annual convention. Sponsored in part by ISDA, the four-day, all-expense-paid IAFL convention is a rising national fellowship platform where Italian American professionals, students and advocates convene in South Florida to examine cultural identity, accelerate leadership development and advance strategies for long-term community impact.

iafuture.org

Marie Palladino is the Head of Education at New York City’s Italian American Museum (IAM), the first museum in the United States dedicated to Italian American history and culture. She received her Master of Arts in Museum Education from Tufts University in 2017, and Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies and Art History from the University of Rhode Island in 2010. She has dedicated much of her career to developing educational resources including programs, curricula, and exhibits on Italian American culture and history. Currently, Marie is working alongside IAM Founder and President Dr. Joe Scelsa to unveil a permanent exhibit that is years in the making at IAM’s new multi-million dollar space, located at the heart of NYC’s Little Italy in Lower Manhattan.

italianamericanmuseum.org

Marianna Gatto, a museum curator, historian, intellectual and author, is unifying Italian America through high-concept exhibits and eye-opening research — much of which focuses on Italian Americans’ indelible impact on the West Coast. As Director and Curator of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA), Marianna is a bridge between generations. Among the exhibitions Marianna created for IAMLA are A Real Boy: The Many Lives of Pinocchio; Woven Lives: Exploring Women’s Needlework from the Italian Diaspora (which won a national award from the AASLH); The Sicilian Cart: History in Movement; and many more. Her new book, The Italian Americans of Los Angeles: A History is the first comprehensive history of Italian Americans in the City of Angels.

iamla.org

Dr. Gilda Rorro was knighted by the President of Italy, conferring the title of Cavaliere (Cav.), an honor that is a capstone to her impressive career and lifetime achievements. Dr. Rorro was a former actress, model, an award-winning educator, author, a statewide civil rights director for School Desegregation, Affirmative Action, and initiator of Multicultural Education at the Department of Education. In addition to being the Honorary Vice Consul for Italy and Consular Correspondent for Italy, in Trenton, Emerita, committee roles include: New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission (NJIHC), Chairperson Emerita; Chairperson, NJIHC Curriculum Project: The Universality of Italian Heritage; Mercer County Columbus Day Observance Committee; and Associate Vice President for Italian Heritage Curriculum for COPOMIAO.

njitalianheritage.org

Vanessa Racci is a touring vocalist and recording artist of Italian American descent with a passion for retro jazz and music made famous by Italian Americans. This passion led her to develop a unique niche of music that educates as much as it entertains audiences in Italian enclaves across the country. Vanessa is currently working on her next project, which will focus on the straight-ahead American Jazz that inspired her career. She also produces and performs in several other Jazz history shows including Hot Speakeasy Nights (A modern take on the music that defined prohibition), An Ode to Gershwin and a Tribute to Harry Warren. Vanessa performs at over 50 venues and festivals annually from New York to New Orleans to San Francisco.

vanessaracci.com

Dolores Alfieri Taranto is a writer, editor, photographer and podcaster who explores tradition, old world style, ancestral inspiration, food — homegrown and from scratch — and, of course, family. Immersed in academia and dialogue surrounding culture and artisanship, this Italian American influencer has generated a style of intellectualism that is pulling in a wide mix of inspired audiences. She is the author of The Dreams that Break Your Heart, a memoir that begins with her parents’ childhoods in Southern Italy, through their immigration to New York in the late 1960s. Explore some of her latest work on The Italian American Podcast and Bella Figura.

bellafigurapodcast.com

Cav. Josephine Maietta, an Italian impresario living the American dream, is a leader in NYC’s academic community. For the past decade, Josephine has produced and hosted the radio talk show “Sabato Italiano” on 88.7 FM WRHU, a student-run radio station at Hofstra University. WRHU was rated the #1 university station in the world by UNESCO and has won five Marconi Awards, considered the highest honor in American radio. Maietta is a mentor and inspiration to her sound engineering students. She launched the radio program on Saturday, June 11, 2016, with Former First Lady Matilda Cuomo and Mons. Hilary Franco, from the United Nations, in the studio.

aiae.net

Rossella Rago, a chef, author, influencer and entrepreneur, has amassed millions of YouTube views and a million social media followers — all in tribute to the values and traditions of her late Nonna Romana. Rossella is a shining personification of the Italian American experience. She was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to parents who emigrated from Mola di Bari, a small fishing village in Puglia, and grew up deeply rooted in her Italian and American heritage. In her latest work Cooking with Nonna: Sunday Dinners with La Famiglia, Rossella shares traditional comforting Italian recipes derived from fond memories of living with her nonna and recipes from her travels.

cookingwithnonna.com

Stephanie A. Longo is an assistant professor of corporate communication at Penn State Scranton. She holds a Doctorate of Strategic Communication and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA). She also holds a Master of Arts degree in History and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian and French from the University of Scranton. She received the 2024 Memorial Fellowship Award from the Italian American Studies Association, and her work has been published in Online Media and Global Communication. She is also the author of three books on northeastern Pennsylvania’s Italian heritage. She resides in Dunmore, PA. 

stephanielongowriter.com

Antonina “Ann” Uccello was an outstanding leader who forever changed the national political landscape. Ann was a force for good, a voice of reason and a beacon to women and girls everywhere. She broke through glass ceilings as a former city councilwoman and Mayor of Hartford, Conn., in the 1960s. Ms. Uccello passed away on March 14, 2023, at the age of 100; yet, her tireless pursuit of excellence shines on.

“These 11 women exemplify the grace, character, intelligence and tenacity that we all can look up to and learn from. Women are the soul of the Italian American experience, and we look forward to announcing the next recipients of the prestigious Donna Distinta Award this spring. Stay tuned.”

–Basil M. Russo, ISDA National President