Board & Staff 

Special Advisors

Tommaso Cammarana, Artistic Director of Italian Film Festival

Tiziana Cervesato, Executive Director of Italian Film Festival

Pieranna Garavaso, Advisor, Academic Program Committee

Anna Olivero, Advisor,  Academic Program Committee 

Michael Sancilio, Coordinator, Rudy Vecoli Library

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

Luisa O’Gara, Director of the Adult Language Program & 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 with a specialization in Adult Education. She spent several years as a preschool teacher for St. David's Center for Child and Family Development. She joined the ICC Adult school team in Spring 2012 and directed the Youth School Program from 2015 to 2021. Luisa met her future husband while in college, they live in the metro area with their two children.

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.

Sabrina Infante, Director of the Youth Language Program & Instructor

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.

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.