Filitalia International & Foundation’s (FI&F) 15th Bi-Annual Convention took place at The Warwick Hotel, in Philadelphia, PA at 9am.
The Immediate Past President Rosetta Miriello addressed her speech to the Assembly, reporting all the accomplishments that FI&F has made in the last 2 years.
Daniele Marconcini, the Italian District Governor, said “the Italian emigrants in the USA are the best demonstration of how the Italian culture can develop and improve even far from Italy”. Marconcini discussed his desire to further strengthen bonds between Italy & the United States. Governor Marconcini expressed the will that Filitalia International will become the benchmark of this new high-qualified emigration from Italy.
The Credential Committee Chair, Nicholas Santangelo, opened the vote session to name a new President and a new BOD. Chairman Santangelo certified the number of members in all FI&F chapters (674) and voting delegates (14), including 2 Vice Presidents, 7 Chapter Presidents and 1 District Governor.
The newly appointed Executive Director of FI&F, Marco Circelli, gave a detailed account of his new role, since the organization has been appointed by the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia as Ente Gestore in March 18, 2017. The activities of FI&F in regards to Ente Gestore will be addressed in two main directions. FI&F will identify both public and private schools in the Philadelphia’s Italian Consular jurisdiction that appoints the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ funds. It will be done in order to functionally keep and eventually open new classes of Italian language and culture in those schools. Secondly, FI will take the place in the existing project of “Teaching Assistant of Italian” at Meredith Elementary School, that started last year and will continue in the future.
President Emeritus Dr. Nestico, who moderated the Convention, presented the list of candidates to Filitalia International Executive Board, as selected by the Nomination Committee. Marc Virga, from the Delaware County Chapter, has been elected by acclamation as the new President of FI&F, while Paula De Sanctis-Bonavitacola (Delaware County) will be 1st Vice President and Daniele Marconcini (Mantova) as 2nd Vice President. Alexis Tulio (Delaware County) will be the new Secretary, Gianfranco Buonamici (Gloucester County) the new Treasurer, Joseph Rollo (South Philadelphia) the Legal Counsel and Ernest Di Filippo (Abington) the Director of Finance.
After that, President Nestico read the names of the candidates to Filitalia International BOD: Rosaria Ceraso (Abington), Anthony Colavita, M.D. (South Philadelphia), Anna Di Paola (South Philadelphia), Anna DiNardo (Delaware County), Mario Presta (South Philadelphia), Saverio Nestico (South Philadelphia), Salvatore Rosati (Abington), Nicholas Santangelo (South Philadelphia), Joseph D’Ascenzo (New Castle, DE), and Giacomo Presta (South Philadelphia)