FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) hosted its first media networking reception in Boston on May 12 for Italian American and Italian journalists to meet and network with their colleagues. The event held at blu at the Sports Club/LA in the Ritz Carlton Hotel also served to introduce NIAF as the total source for information, issues, concerns and events in the Italian American community and internationally.

Pamela Donnaruma, publisher, at The Post Gazette; Ron Della Chiesa, Boston radio & television host at WGBH Radio and Paul La Camera, president and general manager at WCVB-TV; co-chaired the evening. The Boston Herald, WHDH-TV Channel 7, The Providence Journal, The Patriot Ledger, Etiquette, and Incontro Newspaper are some of the 20 media outlets that were represented by Italian American journalists.

Salvatore Balsamo, chairman at TAC Worldwide Companies and NIAF regional vice president in New England, welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of taking a break from our stressful schedules to have an enjoyable evening together and enjoy the special menu prepared by Chef Dante de Magistris of blu.

NIAF scholarship recipient, Nicole Martin, a second year medical student at Harvard University, expressed her thanks to NIAF for her recent award. The NIAF reception was underwritten by Balsamo.

NIAF began its major initiative of media networking meetings in 1996 in Washington, DC at the Foundation’s headquarters. Since that time, NIAF has sponsored 25 dinners and luncheons across the U.S. in the following cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, El Paso, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia, Providence (RI), West Hartford (CT), Washington, DC, New York City, Miami Beach, and Tampa (FL).

Similar events are scheduled in Miami (June 3). NIAF is also planning a media event in Rome, Italy for Italian journalists to meet and network.

(Center) Salvatore A. Balsamo, NIAF regional vice president in New England, presents Nicole Martin, a second year medical student at Harvard University, with a NIAF scholarship during the Foundation’s first media networking reception in Boston on May 12. They are joined by (left) Ron Della Chiesa, Boston radio and television host at WGBH radio and Pamela Donnaruma, publisher, The Post Gazette