The National Organization of Italian American Women welcomes the following new members in spring of 2019!
Greater Washington DC Regional Member
Talia Andreottola is a student at American University, where she will obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies with a European regional focus. She studied abroad in Italy during the fall of 2017 at the American University of Rome. Talia formerly interned with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and currently serves as a Legislative Intern at The Sheridan Group, a political lobbying and consulting firm in Washington, D.C. You can connect with her via LinkedIn
here.
Elisa Bono is a senior at St. John’s University. She is studying advertising and will be graduating in December of 2019. A new member in NOIAW’s Greater New York Region/Metro Network, Elisa has a passion for singing and musical theater. She also loves to cook; nonna and mamma taught her well. Instagram: elisab1217
Based in NYC most of her life, as well as living several years on Italy’s Portofino Mountain coast at the cusp of a 500+ year-old regional park, Greater New York Region/Metro Network member Gwendolyn Bucci is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative spirit who continues to enjoy traveling for work and pleasure. Her favorite pastime is gazing upon the sea when she ‘s not swimming in it. www.gwendolynbucci.com
After a successful 30-year career at Aetna as a leader in the National Accounts arena, Connecticut Regional Member Melanie Cecarelli transitioned her talent and skills to the nonprofit sector as a consultant with United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut where she advanced the work of Women United and launched their signature event, Power of the Purse, to support Family Financial Stability programs, raising over $1M in five years. Melanie joined Harvest Development Group in 2014, where she and business partner, Sondra Lintelmann Dellaripa, provide operational and philanthropic strategies to nonprofits across the country. Melanie is a graduate of the University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT where she served as Alumni President, member of the Board of Trustees, and is a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Connect with Melanie at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-cecarelli-92095ab/ and www.Harvestdevelopmentgrp.com
Greater Washington DC Regional Member
Alexa Conti is a Sophomore at the College of William and Mary, where she is a Candidate for the B.A. in International Relations, Minor in Italian Studies. From Fairfax, Virginia, Alexa describes herself as “100% Italian, half Sicilian and half Abruzzese.” At the College, she plays on the Women’s Club Basketball team, is the First Sergeant of The Queens’ Guard (the school’s honor guard, color guard, and rifle drill company), and is a volunteer at local high schools to help seniors with college applications and resumes. Connect with her via
LinkedIn. Alexa comments, “I look forward to being a part of the great community that is Italian-American women!”
National member
Deena Denaro is a former Hollywood cameraperson who also holds a degree in Industrial Design. After a decade of honing her visual storytelling skills as a media and live events producer she is now melding these superpowers as a budding screenwriter, looking to develop dramas for serial television. To this end she will be doing a master’s degree at the School of Visual Arts starting September 2019. Previously she has studied Italian Cinema an Feminist Film Theory with Professor Giuliana Bruno. Currently based in the UK, Deena is a serial expatriate. A passion for cultural exchange lead Deena to become an exchange student at 16. Since then she has lived and worked in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Belgium, and Malta. During her time in Malta she reestablished a connection with her Italian heritage, spending time with relatives of her paternal grandfather in Sicily. She hopes to explore her mother’s Florentine roots when she graduates. PROFESSIONAL LINKS: Personal Introduction Video (5 mins)
https://youtu.be/sneRW0lctEALinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denarobickerstaffe/
Greater New York Region/Metro Network NOIAW member Victoria Drexler states, “I’m currently in my third year at Manhattan School of Music, where I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in French Horn Performance with Michelle Baker. I’m a first-generation, Brooklyn native, and a graduate of LaGuardia High School and the Juilliard School Pre-College Division in Manhattan. I was fourth horn for three years with the New York Youth Symphony, and my first solo debut will be this spring with the Diller-Quaile ‘Camerata.'”
Sharon Leggio Falchuk is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach & Founder, InTended Holistic Wellness. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 2002 Sharon spent 6 years in corporate recruiting before leaving to become a stay-at-home-mom. When her son was 2 years old she ended up bed-ridden with a serious illness, and lacking answers or medical guidance, she researched, changed her lifestyle, and used alternative healing practices. Wanting to help others achieve wellness she enrolled in the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, and upon graduating started her own health coaching business. For as long as Sharon can remember she has been extremely passionate about her Italian heritage, which brings her immense pride and joy (also healing), and she infuses it into everything she does, including researching traditional Italian healing practices and a project called “Italian-Americans in Wellness.” Links: Business website (
InTended Holistic Wellness)
Greater New York Regional member
Elena Frigenti is an Italian freelance professional journalist with over thirty years’ experience. Born in Tuscany, she graduated in Law at Pisa University and postgraduated in Journalism at Istituto per la Formazione al Giornalismo in Milan. She has lived in Rome for twenty years, working as press officer for BBC Worldwide and in press agencies. She moved to New York last September, and now works as correspondent for Italian news agencies and women magazines. She also runs a project, “Franky in New York”, to improve the connections between the Italian and the Italian American communities by organizing cultural events around food, art, language and human connections. Connect with her via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn or visit her website,
www.frankyinnewyork.com.
Want to be featured in our next New Members post? Why not become a member of NOIAW today? You’ll get access to great benefits including discounted admission to our cultural events, special members-only opportunities, our LinkedIn networking group, mentoring program, and more. Plus, your membership dues support our fantastic scholarship and cultural exchange programs for Italian American women.
Click here to learn more.