Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The Italian American Executives of Transportation has gotten a running start on its 54th annual Awards Dinner and Celebration, naming its honorees as the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026.
Accepting this year’s Man of the Year accolade will be John Donato, who has held the position of chief of staff for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority since 2023. For a decade before that, Donato served as chief of procurement, overseeing contracts for the multibillion-dollar Move Illinois capital program. Efficient tollway operations and vendor outreach have been hallmarks of Donato’s career.
The IAET’s 2026 Humanitarian of the Year will be Jonathan Zivojnovic, an Elmwood Park native who has served as a village trustee since 2013. The owner and operator of River Elm Properties, a real estate and property management company, Zivojnovic has served on and led several philanthropic organizations over the past two decades.
Stepping up to the mic as this year’s emcee will be John Trotta. A past honoree, Trotta is the senior vice president of Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the oldest continually operating consulting engineering firms in the United States.
The event will be held at Ashton Place in Willowbrook on Nov. 21. Entertainment will be provided by Jack and Krystyna Miuccio before dinner, Tina Turner tribute artist Brandye Phillips and her band during dinner, and Phase4 after dinner. (708-212-1051)
