MEET YOUR ELECTED OFFICERS FOR 2014
Congratulations to the officers and members of the Board who were elected at the December 1, 2013 general Society meeting: Maria D’Andrea, President; Nancy DeSanti, 1st Vice President - Programs; Sarah Scott, 2nd Vice President - Membership; Maria Fresco, Secretary; Jeff Clark, Treasurer; and Board members Rocco Caniglia, Sergio Fresco and Lana Nardella. These individuals will serve on the Executive Committee along with Board members Peter Bell, Lucio D’Andrea (President Emeritus), Dick DiBuono (Immediate Past President) Bruno Fusco, Kirsten Keppel, Lynn Sorbara and Eileen and John Verna. The following are bios for the officers and Board members elected in December. You can see bios and photos for all members of the AMHS Executive Committee on the AMHS website, www.abruzzoandmoliseheritagesociety.org
Maria D’Andrea,
President Ms. Maria D’Andrea is proud to be a first generation ItalianAmerican: her mother was born in Pacentro, Abruzzo and her father in Roccamandolfi, Molise. She has been an active member of the Society since it was founded by her father in 2000. She has served as a member of the Board, 1st Vice President-Programs, 2nd Vice President-Membership and editor and co-editor of the AMHS Notiziario. In her professional life, Ms. D’Andrea is a Supervisory International Trade Specialist with the Office of Textiles and Apparel, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. She is responsible for domestic policy issues, and the textile and apparel trade portfolio for Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Maria worked on textile and clothing trade issues as a member of the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Maria dedicates her time and enthusiastic support to the Italian American community in the Washington, DC area, and enjoys travel and spending time with her friends and her very tightknit family (four sisters, one brother, their spouses and 8 nieces and nephews). Most importantly, Maria is proud to carry forward the legacy of her father who served as the first President of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society.
Nancy DeSanti,1st Vice President – Programs Ms. Nancy DeSanti was born in Massachusetts and while growing up, lived in Athens, Greece for 4 years, and in Manila, the Philippines, for 3 years. For the past 11 years, she has been a legal specialist with Reed Smith LLP, a top-15 global law firm. Prior to that, she was an editor at The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., a legal publishing company. As the daughter of immigrants, Nancy appreciates and loves her heritage and is interested in Italian genealogy, history, culture and language. She is a member of the National Italian American Foundation and enjoys traveling to Italy each year. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.
Sarah Scott, 2nd Vice President – Membership Ms. Sarah Scott is second-generation Italian-American; her mother’s family is from Poggio Picenze, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Her father’s career in the United States Navy enabled Ms. Scott to travel throughout Italy and live in Naples for several years. Although Sarah was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, she traveled extensively with her Navy family. Sarah most recently lived in Texas while completing a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas. She holds degrees in Economics, Finance, Political Economy, and Public Policy. She relocated to Washington, DC in May 2010 to work as an International Economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Her favorite activities are tennis and travel.
Maria Fresco, Secretary Mrs. Maria Caminiti Fresco is a first-generation ItalianAmerican born of Sicilian parents. Maria was very fortunate to visit Italy with her family growing up, learning Italian along the way and refining her language skills at Casa Italiana Language School and the University of Maryland/College Park (UMCP). Maria’s connection to Abruzzo and Molise? Her husband, Sergio Fresco, one of the founding members of AMHS. A graduate of UMCP, Maria worked previously as a classroom teacher, Enrollment Coordinator, and Assistant Director for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, an employerbased childcare company. She also volunteered for Festa Italiana and Villa Rosa Festivals over the years. Currently, she works for three churches in the Archdiocese of Washington: as a parish secretary at Holy Rosary Church in Washington, DC and the parish cook at both Sacred Heart and Ascension Churches in Bowie, MD. Favorite activities include cooking (of course!), reading, and party planning.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Clark, Treasurer Mr. Jeffrey (Jeff) Clark grew up in Utah and has lived the last ten years in the District of Columbia. He works as chief financial officer for a small government contractor holding an MBA degree and CPA designation. He is the single father of three children, 24 and 17-year old sons, and a 21 year-old daughter who all live with him. In addition to the AMHS, Jeff is a member of the Lucchesi nel Mondo Tuscany Club, and in 2011 served as the Secretary of the Festa Italiana Foundation. He claims Italian heritage through his 6th great grandfather who was a native of Naples and immigrated to New Orleans in the early 1700s.
Rocco Caniglia, Member of the Board Mr. Rocco Caniglia was born in the beautiful town of Orsogna in the Abruzzo Region, where on a clear day you can see the massive majestic Mountain Maiella touch the heavens. Rocco came to Washington as a young boy with his older sister. After high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with honor and distinction as a rifleman with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. After Vietnam, Rocco worked and owned his own construction business.
Shortly after that, he started a very successful pizza restaurant, Mama Mia’s, which he ran until recently, when he sold the business. Rocco has been a member of AMHS since the very beginning in 2000. He has served as a member of the Board and later as 1 st Vice President-Programs. He is very grateful and proud to have been part of this great society and its members. Now that Rocco is retired, he is enjoying life to the fullest. Rocco enjoys playing cards with friends, his daily long walk in the park, his bi-yearly trip to Italy with Yoni and reading books especially about historical events. Most of all he loves to spend time with his three beautiful grandchildren; they surely brighten up his world.
Sergio Fresco, Member of the Board Mr. Sergio Fresco is a first-generation Italian-American born of Abruzzese parents. His father hails from Lanciano, his mother from San Vito Chietino. Sergio was one of the founding members of the Abruzzo Molise Heritage Society, and later served as the organization's Programs Chair. A business graduate from the University of Maryland University College, Sergio has worked 20+ years as a Box Office Manager at the Verizon Center, Washington's sports & entertainment complex and home of the Washington Capitals, Wizards & Mystics. Following in his paternal family’s music traditions, Sergio is also a professional accordionist who works solo and band jobs 4 with Baltimore, MD-based Omni 1. Sergio is also very proud to have recorded 2 albums, “Dedicato a Voi” and “Accordion to Me.” Sergio's hobbies include traveling, bikeriding, and making homemade fig jam with his wife Maria (if/when bees don't descend upon and invade their precious fig tree!).
Lana Nardella, Member of the Board Mrs. Lana Barber Nardella was born in Rochester, New York. Her mother Laura Ciaccia Malsegna was born in Celano, Abruzzo. Her father Samuel Barber's family was from Villa Rosa, Sicily. Lana received her degree in Art Education from Xavier University (formerly Our Lady of Cincinnati College). After teaching Art in Fairport, New York, she moved to Northern Virginia and worked at Northern Virginia Montessori School. For fifteen years she was an instructional assistant with Special Education in the Fairfax County School system. Lana and her husband John Nardella (deceased February 2013) were married for 42 years and have two sons and a daughter: John Paul, Christopher and Ann Marie who have blessed them with 11 grandchildren. Lana has enjoyed many trips to Italy and enjoys researching her family genealogy in Abruzzo. She appreciates the Italian culture, language and travel and the wonderful friends she has met through the AMHS. (Photos and biographies for the entire AMHS Executive Committee can be found on the AMHS website, www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org/officers.htm).