Board & Staff 

Special Advisors

Pieranna Garavaso, Ph.D., Professor Emerita of Philosophy, Division of the Humanities, University of Minnesota Morris

Luke Olson, VP, Senior Corporate Counsel, U.S. Bank

Marco Pavoloni, Honorary Consul of Italy in Minnesota

Anna Olivero, Advisor to the Language Program and Founding Director of the Adult School

Honorary Former Board Members

Massimo Bonavita, Co-Founder

Anna Bonavita, Co-Founder

Lon Bencini, Founding Member

Emanuela Corbetta, Founding Member

Lili Hall

Anna Masellis

Nassim Rossi

Daniela Ruggiero, Founding Member

Nancy Schaefer, Founding Member

Elena Wilsey, Founding Member

Staff Members

Sabrina Infante, Director of the Italian Language Program

Sabrina called Florence home for almost 15 years and continues to travel there regularly. She has also lived in Verona and Venice and has family in the Naples area. Sabrina appreciates the wide variety of regional cultures in Italy and loves sharing her knowledge and passion with her students. She has taught Italian language and culture for over 20 years at all levels. She began teaching at a nursery school in Italy and later taught high school and university in the Boston area. After completing a Doctorate in Modern Languages, Sabrina moved to Minnesota in 2017 with her husband Paolo and their son Luca. Sabrina also taught at the ICC Youth School when her son was younger, and is delighted to return this time in the role of Director of the Youth School.

Tiziana Cervesato, Executive Director of the Italian Film Festival

Tiziana joined the ICC in September 2015. Italian and Belgian national, Tiziana was born in Rome and has been immersed in different cultures all her life: Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Niger, Somalia, Morocco, France and the U.S. Although Minneapolis is the 8th place she calls home, Friuli Venezia Giulia, her family's home region, remains her sweet spot.

Michelle DeBace,  Office Manager

Michelle’s love of Italian language and culture began after studying abroad in Florence during her college years. She began taking language classes at the ICC in 2019 and joined in an administrative role in 2022. She is currently in the process of having her Italian citizenship recognized.

Martina Di Silvio-Sabah, Instructor

Martina was born and raised in a small town in Emilia Romagna (Northern Italy) between Modena and Reggio Emilia. International Education has always been a big part of her life: in high school, she spent a semester in Chili; in college, she spent one academic year studying in Turkey; after obtaining her Bachelor's Degree, she moved to the U.S. as an au pair. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of International Student Services at Concordia University, St. Paul. Martina enjoys spending time with her son, art, nature, and of course, traveling.

Pierangela Garau, Instructor 

Pierangela  is an Italian artist born in Sardegna, a beautiful island in the center of the Mediterranean sea and lived in Brescia, Lombardia, for twenty years. After graduating from Liceo Classico, Pierangela earned a degree in Visual Arts from the Brera Academy  of Fine Arts in Milano followed by a Master in Visual Design from Nuova Accademia del Design (NAD) in Verona. She moved to Minnesota in 2021 and joined ICC in January 2023. Pierangela enjoys teaching Italian language and culture to students at all levels of proficiency. She likes to spend her free time practicing CrossFit and Yoga, traveling, and pursuing her passion for photography.

Mariateresa Maruska Monaco, Instructor

Mariateresa relocated to Minnesota in 2019 with her husband and children. Born and raised in Cuneo, Piemonte, after attending Liceo Classico, Mariateresa earned a Laurea in electrical engineering from Politecnico di Torino and a Diploma in Piano from the Conservatorio Verdi di Torino. During her engineering studies she met her husband, and after working in Italy for a while they decided to follow their “American Dream” and moved to the Boston area for graduate studies at MIT, in engineering and business. They spent many years studying and working in Boston, and then they moved to Iowa and now Minnesota! After raising three bilingual children (now all in college) and a long career in the stock market, she’s exploring her old passions for piano and Italian teaching, along with her finance and investment interests. Mariateresa joined the Board of Directors as Treasurer in 2023.

Romina Montanari, Instructor

Romina a native of Emilia Romagna, has been teaching Italian to adults extensively in the Twin Cities since 2007. Her teaching philosophy is to create a fun, intensive learning experience for students with many opportunities for interactive exercises and practice. She strives to give students a better understanding of the Italian culture coupled with practical uses of the language for travel, business and pleasure. She received her Bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Modena and a Professional Diploma in Marketing from the University of California-Berkeley.

Luisa O'Gara, Instructor

Luisa was born and raised in Puglia in the Southern part of Italy, the land of the Trulli, and famous for Tarantella and Primitivo wine. Luisa is the youngest of three siblings. Her mother was a school teacher, which inspired Luisa to earn a degree in Education from the University of Firenze. Luisa met her future husband while in college, they live in the metro area with their two children. She joined the ICC Adult school team in Spring 2012 and directed the Youth School Program from 2015 to 2021.

Stefania Padalino,  Marketing and Communications Manager & Instructor

Stefania was born in Catania, Sicily, and has resided in various locations across Italy, including Naples, Verona, Vicenza, Tivoli, and Pisa. She has also lived in multiple cities in the United States and recently served as a graphic designer and Marketing Coordinator on a U.S. Army base in South Korea. Stefania holds a diploma in Early Child Development, a teaching certificate from the Italian Ministry of Education in Vicenza, and a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Oregon State University. Stefania joined ICC in the spring of 2023 after a successful career in public service as a U.S. Army Civilian.

Eleonora Villani, Instructor

Eleonora, originally from the historic town of Manoppello in the beautiful Abruzzo region of Italy, completed her studies in L'Aquila, where she earned a Master's in Modern Languages and International Studies and a Bachelor's in Linguistic Mediation and Intercultural Communication. She is a freelance translator and an experienced instructor who has spent many years teaching Italian as a second language, bringing languages to life in dynamic and engaging ways. Before moving to the United States, Eleonora lived in several vibrant European cities, including Bologna, Genoa, Lyon, Geneva, and Paris. After two enriching years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she settled in Minneapolis — a city she adores for its diversity and spirit of innovation. She believes learning a language means connecting deeply with the people, histories, and traditions that make it unique.