Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Lisa Turano and her parents, Patricia and Renato, will figure prominently in Nazareth Academy’s 125th anniversary celebration June 6-7. Lisa will receive one of this year’s Four Pillar awards, and all three will be acknowledged among the “125 Faces of Nazareth” in celebration of the La Grange Park high school 125th anniversary.
The Four Pillars event will be celebrated on June 7 with a 4 p.m. followed by a reception from 5- 7 p.m. at the high school To make reservations, call Colleen Cook at 708-387-8506.
“There is simply no missing the ‘Naz Spirit’ that Lisa Turano embodies,” promotional material for the event points out. “She lives the model of giving time, treasure and talent, always with her unique passion and zeal no matter where she goes or what she is doing. Lisa represents the best of Nazareth Academy’s mission of ‘Educating the Whole Person.’”
The oldest member of the third generation of family ownership, management and operation at Turano Baking Co., Lisa holds the positions of VP legal and general counsel. An attorney for more than 30 years, she has experience in litigation, real estate, corporate transactions, human resource/employment law and other matters.
Lisa earned a bachelor of arts degree in Italian as a language and literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Subsequently she earned a law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law. In addition to her JD, she earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in executive management.
An active and passionate fundraiser and philanthropist, Lisa has served on numerous boards including Kids in Danger (board of directors, fundraising chairperson and then advisory board), Turano Foundation (president), St. John of the Cross Parish School (board member), DuPage Senior Citizens Council (board member, currently serving as executive secretary and fundraising chairperson), Fra Noi (vice chairman), Calabresi in America Organization (board member) and Casa Italia (vice chairman).
Lisa was a member of the Nazareth board of trustees and also previously served on the alumni advisory board. Through her role with the Turano Foundation she is ensuring that students from Berwyn and Cicero receive a Nazareth Academy education through grants donated by the Turano Foundation.
“I always felt an invisible embrace when I attended Nazareth and a peaceful sense of being home where I was safe and secure,” she says, “and I still do!”
Renato and Pattie Turano sent Lisa and her sister, Renee, to Nazareth and were generous donors to the high school for decades. Renato was especially involved in fundraising activities, working on the annual auctions and running a raffle that raised development income for the high school.
“Ron and Pattie understood the concept of ‘Naz Family’ to their very core, living that idea in their support of Nazareth,” the promotional material states. “Throughout their lives, they could be found on campus, cheering on, talking with, or serving alongside scores of Roadrunners. They established a legacy of service and spirit that continues to carry through, positively impacting Nazareth’s mission of ‘Educating the Whole Person.’”
