ICC Board of Directors

Silvia Arnone Metzger: Board Member
Born and raised in Italy, she obtained her “Laurea” degree from the University of Genova where she worked as a researcher until she moved to California.She has traveled extensively. She has worked as an interpreter and translator and has been teaching Italian for over 20 years at all levels in institutions and Universities in the San Diego area and in Australia and Italy.
Silvia has been involved with the Italian Community Center since the beginnings of the organization and has served on the Board as Vice President and President for several years. She particularly enjoys teaching at the Italian Community Center, where she finds the students very interesting and stimulating because they are motivated and eager to learn the Italian language and culture.She has been teaching Italian at ICC since 1989.

James Bianchi: Board Member

Barbara Carra: Board Member, Manager of Language Programs, and Editor
Education: School of foreign languages: English, French and German “Accademia Internazionale di Lingue”, Florence, Italy. AA “Aviation Management”, “Flight Operations” with Highest Honors, Mesa College, San Diego. BS in Aviation Management, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Summa cum Laude. Currently she is working for a company that sell Italian airplanes as Office Manager. ICC: She has been helping the ICC since 1995. Over the years she has acted as Secretary, Vice-President, and President. Presently, she serves as Editor of our newsletter "Piccola Italia" and as Board Member. For information on ad placement or articles submission, please leave a message for her at the ICC phone number or send an email to her attention.

Don Santamaria: Facilities

Graziella Spinelli Kehrenberg – Board Member
In 1981, Graziella, along with two friends, founded our organization, The Italian Cultural Center in Little Italy. She has served as President many times over the years and is today an active and valued Board member.
Born and raised in East Africa (Eritrea) where her father was a representative of the Bank of Rome, she attended Italian schools locally until she went to university. She received her Laurea (equivalent to a U.S. Masters Degree) from the University of Bologna.
She came to San Diego with her American husband in 1970. With a passion to teach the Italian language, she interviewed at local colleges and universities and found that not one had any interest in offering Italian language classes to their students.
Not to be denied, she next petitioned the head of the Midway area Adult Education department to allow her to put an Italian class on the schedule. He agreed to give it a try and to everyone’s surprise there was so much interest that two classes with fifty students each were formed the first semester. Within two years, she was teaching Italian at ALL the Adult Education Centers (5) in San Diego.
A savvy administrator at Southwestern College was the first college official in San Diego to recognize Graziella’s Italian education credentials and, with his support; Graziella started the first Italian program at that college.
Graziella went on to teach Italian at Grossmont College, Mira Costa College, Mesa College, San Diego State University, University of San Diego and UCSD.
Her love of the Italian language, along with her outstanding teaching skills, and her lovable personality has made her an iconic teacher in San Diego. Not surprisingly, many of her students have become her life-long friends.

Don Stadelli: Board Member & Treasurer
Born in San Diego and raised in the back country of Julian. Graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Don is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner. He operates his own private practice in San Diego specializing in taxation, financial planning and investment advisory services.
Don has been a regular student at ICC since 2002. He has also attended language school in Italy. In his spare time, Don is passionate about golf, tennis and the Italian language and culture.

Ilaria Tabusso: Teacher and Board Member
From Roma, Italia
Born and raised in Rome, but with family origins from Torino, Ilaria got her University degree in Literature and Philosophy from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. Before moving to San Diego she taught Italian to foreigners in Rome. In San Diego, she has taught for several years at UCSD Extension and at the Italian Cultural Center, to both adults and children. Although she loves traveling and no longer lives in Italy, her “italianità” is with her wherever she goes. She loves her culture, food and way of socializing!
She feels that languages are the mirror of the culture and the society. To her, there is no better way of sharing her own culture and love for her country than teaching her own language: Italian.

Pasquale Verdicchio - Board Member
Prof. Verdicchio teaches literature, film and writing in the Department of Literature at the University of California–San Diego. As a poet, translator and essayist, he has published translations of Pasolini, Merini, Caproni, Porta, and Gramsci. Among other works, he is the author of Devils in Paradise: Writings on Post-Emigrant Cultures, Bound by Distance: Rethinking Nationalism through the Italian Diaspora, and the poetry collection This Nothing’s Place.

Andrea Zarattini: Board Member
Born and raised in Bologna, Andrea has an Italian Degree in Engineering Construction & Land surveying and in Public Works Management from Palomar College. In Italy he was a production manager for the leading firms in swimwear and intimate apparel, and currently he is working for the County of San Diego in the Department of Public Work as Resident Engineer. Teacher, former Vice President and active board member since 1999, Andrea enjoys sharing the beauty and culture of his Italian heritage.
During the last fifteen years, he has developed a passion for Italian cuisine and he his currently attending a culinary arts program at Grossmont College. He his a wine and food connoisseur with a special interest in extra-virgin olive oil and Italian I.G.P., D.O.P. and D.O.P.G. products especially from the Italian region of Abruzzo.