As a driving force behind the American Friends of Capodimonte, Cristina Del Sesto has helped increase stateside awareness and support for “Europe’s least-known great museum.” Creating wider public access to the Capodimonte Museum has been the opportunity of a lifetime, says Cristina Del Sesto. Located in Naples and boasting more than 47,000 works of art spanning the Middle Ages to the 21st century, the museum was described as “Europe’s least-known great museum” in a Financial Times article in 2023. Del Sesto serves on the board of American Friends of Capodimonte (including just over one term as president until earlier this …

When her dreams of Olympic glory didn’t come to fruition, Sophia Campana carved out a successful career in the land of her forebears and beyond. Like almost every talented, driven gymnast, Sophia Campana grew up with Olympic ambitions. “Gosh, I was obsessed with the Olympics,” Campana says. “My thinking was I’ll make it to the Olympics and win the gold medal and then everyone will love me.” So, when she failed to qualify with the gymnastics team for the 2012 Olympics it was a major blow. But in the 13 years since, Campana has made a great career for herself …

  Jaquelyn Manetakis loves the communications field because, as she puts is, “it sits at the intersection of purpose, storytelling and impact.” “As a purpose-driven leader, I’m energized by the opportunity to uncover what makes a brand truly unique and amplify how it solves real problems for its customers and communities,” she says. “Communication isn’t just about messaging — it’s about influence, trust and connection.” With nearly 20 years of public relations experience, Manetakis was named among the 2025 Women to Watch by PRWeek, a trade magazine and news website for the public relations and communications industry. Manetakis is a …

Joe Marcantonio didn’t want to be any library’s director — he wanted to be the director at the Winfield Public Library. That’s because he was raised in Winfield, and started working at the library as a shelver at age 16. Coming full circle feels surreal, says Marcantonio, who started as director there in June. “I love this community and the people in it,” he says. “I’ve already had my first patron call me Joey — which I haven’t been called in 35 years — because she remembers me from when her husband was my little league coach.” During his first …

Recently tapped to chair the National Italian American Foundation, John Calvelli is fueled by a dedication to Italian culture that dates to his early childhood. If there is someone who embodies wholehearted devotion to the cause of preserving and promoting Italian heritage, it’s John F. Calvelli. Calvelli was elected chairman of the National Italian American Foundation in April after serving for more than 25 years on its board of directors, most recently as executive vice chairman. He also was a founder in 1984 and first president of FIERI, a national organization of students and young professionals dedicated to promoting Italian …

The former CEO of America’s largest bookseller found himself championing an obscure Italian novel in his retirement. Stephen Riggio believes it was his destiny to translate Luigi Natoli’s epic Sicilian novel, “I Beati Paoli,” into English. The former CEO of Barnes & Noble spent three years immersed in the project, whose roots trace back to the passing of his daughter Melissa. “From that tragic event, I returned to the study of the (Italian) language, visited Sicily four times, traced my family’s roots back 400 years, discovered distant relatives, translated a classic work of literature and published it the day before …

Ross Martucci fell in love with special effects makeup as a child, when he saw the gruesome Freddy Krueger of the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” on the cover of a horror magazine. “I couldn’t believe how it was possible to make somebody look like they were burnt from head to toe and it not be real. It was almost like magic to me,” the Chicago-based artist recalls. “I said to myself, ‘This has to be one of the coolest jobs to do.’” More than 20 years later, Martucci got to assist on the “Nightmare on Elm Street” remake, which …

The COVID-19 pandemic is over, but a Facebook group co-created by Theresa “Terri” Sarro during that difficult time continues to thrive as a resource for residents of North Riverside. Sarro, who serves as trustee in the suburban Chicago municipality, started the group North Riverside Neighbors Helping Neighbors with her good friend and fellow resident Kathy Ranieri. The two had a long history of working together for the good of the community. Nine years ago, they started “Christmas for a Cause” to raise funds for families in need and have held additional fundraisers to assist people in need during difficult times. …

Never taking a day for granted, two-time cancer survivor Dylan Provenzano, 20, has been giving back to the community that helped him through a fundraising drive for pediatric cancer patients. “I always try to remember what my life was like seven, eight years ago, and how ‘little me’ would be wishing to be in the spot I am right now,” says Provenzano, a Dean’s List baseball player at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “That always helps me to keep going and keep getting stronger in any category of my life. Whether it be baseball, school or with people, I’ll always …

A native of Italy, Italian language teacher Cristina Tinnirello believes in providing students with a full immersion experience in the Italian language and culture, with the ultimate goal of helping them become better global citizens. Having learned five languages throughout her education, she understands the challenges and rewards of language learning, which inspires her to help others on their journey, she says. Tinnirello teaches Italian to students in kindergarten through 8th grade at Union Ridge School District 86 in Harwood Heights, just outside of Chicago, where she’s been since 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a 5th grade …