Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
The Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans honored nine accomplished women at the 2025 Impresa Awards. Scholarships were also presented to several deserving female high school seniors at the event.
“We’re always so proud to host the Impresa Awards,” JCCIA Women’s Division President Rosemary Ranallo says. “It’s our opportunity to shine the spotlight on Italian-American women of accomplishment and to encourage young Italian-American women to follow in their footsteps.”
This year’s honorees are:
- Lisa Capitanini, award-winning investigative producer for NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) Chicago
- Tracey Tarantino DiBuono, founder and director of Zzazz Productions
- Linnea McHugh, chief policy officer for the Cook County Board of Review
- Cav. Lyn Scolaro, longtime Italian language educator and scholar
- Dolores Sorrentino Sennebogen, Fra Noi food columnist and book author
- Sara Serritella, founding instructor of Science Communication and Concentration at the University of Chicago School of Medicine
- Hon. Laura Bertucci-Smith, Cook County Circuit Court associate judge
- Lisa Turano, Vice President Legal of Turano Baking Co.
- Antoinette Ursitti, Chicago Police Department chief of detectives
The following profiles were provided by the JCCIA:
Lisa Capitanini
Lisa Capitanini is an award-winning producer with more than two decades of journalism experience. Since 2012, she has been an investigative producer at NBC 5 Chicago.
Throughout her journalism career, Lisa has worn many hats. After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she took a print position with the Chicago Reporter. However, her broadcast journalism journey truly began when a research position became available with Pam Zekman’s investigative team at CBS. While there, she had the opportunity to work with amazing anchors and reporters. After 14 years, she left CBS to spend more time raising a family.
At CBS and NBC, she is credited with numerous award-winning investigative reports, including “Time Killers,” “The Road to Baghdad,” “Back to Iraq,” “They’re Showing Up Sick,” “High School Photo Shame,” “Hazed to Death,” and “Who Owns Your Face.” Her work has earned Edward Murrow Regional Awards, several Chicago Midwest Emmys, Peter Lisagor awards, and honors from the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Lisa was born in Chicago to first-generation parents. All of her grandparents came from Northern Italy. In 1927, her grandfather Alfredo Capitanini founded the Italian Village Restaurant in Chicago. Her father was the second generation to continue the family’s culinary legacy, which now continues with the fourth generation.
Lisa is most proud of her family and children and proclaims, “La semplicità è l’ultima sofisticazone.”
Tracey Tarantino DiBuono
Tracey Tarantino DiBuono is the founder and Executive Director of Zzazz Productions. Her name has been synonymous with fashion production for over 35 years, serving an impressive roster of corporate and philanthropic clients. She created and produced the domestic traveling fashion show for United Health Care and the original live and video fashion shows for JourneyCare, Ingalls Hospital, and the Service League of Chicago. Recently, Fox News referred to Tracey as “Chicago’s fashion guru.”
A Chicago native, Tracey attended Dominican University, where she continues to collaborate with the fashion department. She has received numerous awards and honors, including the Dominican University Style Icon Award, the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind Award, and the Chicago Star Media Award. She was also honored in the inaugural year of the Pillar Award by her alma mater, Nazareth Academy.
Tracey served as President of the Service Club of Chicago (2018–2019). She is a longtime member of the JCCIA Women’s Division and the producer of their fashion show for more than 20 years.
In 2025, Tracey was appointed CEO and Director of the Driehaus Design Initiative, founded in 2002 to promote design education and foster public appreciation for fashion design and history. The Initiative hosts the annual Driehaus Fashion Awards and supports many fashion endeavors in Chicago.
Tracey is an only child, born to Rudolph “Rudy” and Angela Tarantino, but enjoys being the youngest of 15 first cousins, all still closely connected. She is married to Joey DiBuono of the legendary Tufano’s Vernon Park Restaurant and is the proud mother of twin daughters, Darcy and Disa, who have blessed her with four beautiful grandchildren.
Linnea McHugh
Linnea is the Chief Policy Officer for the Cook County Board of Review, District 2, where she plays a key role in shaping policies that improve transparency, efficiency, and equity in property tax assessment appeals. She collaborates with board leadership, government agencies, and community stakeholders to address systemic issues and ensure fair property valuations across Cook County.
With a career spanning over 30 years, Linnea’s professional path has been anything but conventional. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Minnesota, launching her into sales before transitioning into real estate. Her success in real estate eventually expanded into running a general contracting and design firm. After the 2008 housing crash, she founded a marketing and public affairs agency, which she led until 2019.
In a return to her public policy roots — first sparked during a college internship with the Minnesota State Senate — she launched McHugh and Howlett Public Affairs, assisting small and mid-sized businesses with government navigation and advocacy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Linnea followed a lifelong passion for the water, earning her U.S. Coast Guard Master Merchant Marine credentials. She now captains and charters vessels both domestically and abroad.
Linnea is also deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and community impact. She formerly served as Executive Secretary of the United States Minority Contractors Association and currently supports minority-owned businesses through training with the Illinois Tollway Authority. Her longtime charitable priorities include Folds of Honor and HighSight, which focus on education for underserved youth and families of fallen service members.
Born Mazzarella in Chicago, Linnea took her beloved stepfather’s last name, McHugh, at age six. She resides in Lincoln Park and proudly calls her greatest accomplishments her two children, Jacqueline and Jon Johanson.
Cavaliere Lyn Scolaro, OSI
Lyn is an educator, award-winning scholar and a well-recognized Italian American community leader. She is experienced in a variety of areas of education, activities, fine arts, event planning and staff development.
She received her undergraduate degree in 1982 from Rosary College with a Bachelor of Arts in Italian and a Master of Arts in administration and supervision from Roosevelt University. In 2000, she earned a Master of Arts in teaching from Aurora University.
She was an Italian teacher at Mother Guerin, Prospect and Resurrection High Schools. In 2020, she culminated her 41 wonderful years of teaching Italian. She continues to teach and speak at workshops, conferences and as an invited speaker. Additionally, Lyn escorts groups to Italy and teaches cross-cultural training for Italian businesses and organizations. Most recently, she was the director of Casa Italia language and culture summer camp.
She is the proud bearer of numerous awards and recognitions. Most notable, in 2019 she was knighted by the Italian government. Additionally, the Redoro Frantoi olive oil mill in Verona awarded Lyn a 100,000-euro grant to do an International Internship with her Advanced Placement Italian Class in Career Pathways and the Italian language. To date, Lyn has escorted 16 student trips to Italy and overseen 20 student exchanges and numerous adult tours. She has taught Italian to 5,000 students and escorted more than 1,000 students to Italy.
Lyn is the daughter of Attilio and Mary Scolaro, who were both from the Veneto region. She has a sister and one-of-a kind brother-in-law; a nephew and niece; and her “pupew,” Cico.
Dolores Sorrentino Sennebogen
For the past 25 years, Dolores has been the well-recognized food columnist for Fra Noi.
In 1997, the dream of publishing the amazing recipes of her mother, Ann Sorrentino, became a reality with the publication of the cookbook “From Ann’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Reminiscences of Ann Sorrentino.” Ann had planned a cookbook for many years, but when she passed away unexpectedly, editor Paul Basile and the staff at Fra Noi made it possible for Dolores to complete the cookbook.
In 2019, Dolores was a contributor to the book “Italian Women in Chicago: Madonna Mia! Qui Debbo Vivere?”
Dolores worked in the Suburban Library System for 36 years. While working at the system’s Audio-Visual Service, beginning in 1977, she catalogued 12,000 classical recordings, answered AV reference questions and helped local libraries schedule their film presentations. She served the last 25 years of her library career in Reference Services at the Downers Grove Public Library.
Dolores is a member of numerous Italian American organizations, including the JCCIA Women’s Division, Amici Naperville Area Italian American Club, Philanthropic Education Organization and the American Italian Cultural Society.
Dolores is of Sicilian heritage. Her parents, Tony and Ann Sorrentino, lived lives of service to the Italian American community. Her dad was one of the pioneers
who established the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans in 1952 and her mom was a founding member of the Women’s Division and the West Suburban Division of the JCCIA.
Dolores attended Northern Illinois University and lives in Darien, Illinois, with Jim, her husband of 57 years.
Sara Serritella
Sara, a Michigan native, is the daughter of Kathleen Iannone, whose family traces its roots to Campobasso, the capital of the Molise region along Italy’s Adriatic coast. Her father, Allan, comes from a Lithuanian background. He built a successful career as an orthopedic surgeon, while her mother served patients as a physical therapist.
Sara is a University of Chicago professor and director of communications at the Institute for Translational Medicine. Translational medicine turns scientific discoveries into clinical applications to improve human health as quickly as possible. Sara is also a private detective and partner at Vantius, their family private intelligence firm, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist!
Sara’s accomplishments and special projects are truly monumental. As a private detective, she helped exonerate a wrongfully convicted man who had served 30 years of a life sentence without parole for a murder he did not commit. Sara is the co-founder of science communication education at the University of Chicago, which spans the medical school, master’s program, the college, and a new national science communication certificate program. She also led an award-winning campaign, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to boost participation in health research to accelerate medical breakthroughs. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, offering bespoke coaching and educational experiences to top universities, C-Suite executives, and government agencies across the country.
Sara is married to Sergio Serritella, a first-generation Italian American whom she proclaims is brilliant and possesses a kind soul, inspiring her to be the best version of herself. They are partners in business and life, and he is her greatest cheerleader. He is always supportive of her latest grand plans, asking “Cosa stai aspettando?”
Hon. Laura Bertucci Smith
Hon. Laura Bertucci Smith in a Cook County Associate Judge in the Criminal Domestic Violence Courtroom.
Laura was born in Melrose Park, Illinois, moving to Aurora as a young child. However, most of her extended family lived in Chicago. Laura and her two sisters grew up with their parents stressing the importance of family and education. Holidays were always monumental, with big family gatherings that included grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Laura graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1991 and immediately began a career in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. She started in the Appellate Division, where she argued before the First District as well as before the Illinois Supreme Court. Eventually, she became an assistant in the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, where she tried hundreds of bench and jury trials. During that time, she served on numerous committees working toward a stronger and better coordinated response to domestic violence. During her last five years in the State’s Attorney’s Office, she supervised the Domestic Violence Division.
In 2007, she was appointed to the Circuit Court of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court. Also in 2007, the Chicago Police Department recognized her dedication to strengthening the response to domestic violence with the Law Enforcement Career Recognition Award.
Judge Bertucci resides with her husband, Bill, and their two wonderful sons. She is proud that she is not only a professional but a mother, who has dedicated her career to serving the public and at the same time raising a family, instilling in them the importance of family, service and integrity.
Lisa Turano
Lisa Turano is Vice President-Legal and General Counsel of Turano Baking Company, a position she has held since 2000. Lisa is the eldest member of the third generation of the family business, which is celebrating more than 63 years of success.
Lisa earned her juris doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law and her MBA from the University of Chicago. Her undergraduate degree is in Italian as a language and literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In her role as VP-Legal, Lisa is the primary contact for all legal matters related to business and family, including Labor/Human Relations, Contracts, Real Estate, Corporate Transactions, Litigation, Estate Planning and more. As Vice Chair of the Legal Committee for the American Bakers Association, she lobby’s Capitol Hill on behalf of the association regarding matters relevant to the baking industry.
An active and passionate fundraiser and philanthropist, Lisa serves or has served on numerous boards including DuPage Senior Citizens Council (Board Member, Executive Secretary and Fundraising Chairperson), Calabresi in America Organization (Board Member), Casa Italia (Vice Chairman), Fra Noi (Vice Chairman) and Nazareth Academy (Board of Trustees and Alumni Advisory Board Member).
She has received numerous honors, including a Four Pillars and In Te Domani Speravi award from Nazareth Academy, Best Friend Award from Kids in Danger and Volunteer of the Year Award from DuPage Senior Citizens Council.
The daughter of Renato and Patricia Turano, Lisa is married to Ron Renfro. She has two younger siblings, Renee and Mario, and is the proudest mother of Gioia and Rocco.
A former national ranked competitive ballroom dancer and dance fitness instructor, Lisa is an internet ordained minister who has married family members and friends.
Chief Antoinette Ursitti
Chicago born, Antoinette Ursitti is Chief of Detectives of the Chicago Police Department and hails from Sicilian and Abruzzi lineage. She has been a member of the Chicago Police Department for 24 years, joining shortly after graduating from the Academy.
Antoinette assisted in the launch of the Chicago Crime Gun Intelligence Center, a multi-agency partnership with the ATF that brings together federal, state and local law enforcement partners to receive and analyze information on all firearm-related violence, arrests, and recoveries and to refer incidents with investigatory merit to the most appropriate resources for follow-up and prosecution.
Prior to this assignment, she was Deputy Chief of the Training and Support Group and was responsible for identifying recruit, in-service, pre-service and field training needs and ensuring Department members received training to safely, effectively, and lawfully perform their duties.
Among her many other achievements, Antoinette co-developed Chicago’s first multidisciplinary response teams of professionals consisting of Crisis Intervention Team Officers, Chicago Fire Department Paramedics and Chicago Department of Public Health Crisis Clinicians. She was instrumental in expanding the department’s Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program from 1 district to all 22 districts citywide and implemented the Youth Intervention Pathways Program in partnership with the Department of Family and Support Services.
Antoinette has a doctorate in Education in Ethical Leadership; a master’s in human services and counseling; and a bachelor’s degree in communication. She is also licensed in Illinois as a professional counselor.
Antoinette has been most influenced by her parents. Her dad was a Chicago police officer for 33 years and both her parents encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Their unconditional love helped her make big decisions and attain even bigger goals.
