Christina Cavallaro Edick is a proud Italian American from sunny Los Angeles, California. Her family hails from Adelfia, in Bari, Italy, and Cesaro, Messina province, Sicily. Christina was a key member of Italian Portland, where she had been involved in various roles on the board for many years. Returning to the Italian Portland Board feels like coming home to her beloved Italian community.

Christina's love for food runs deep, thanks to her upbringing in a traditional Italian American household. As an adult, she channeled that passion into writing cookbooks. Her series, From Vine to Table, includes titles like The Unexpected Joy of Zucchini’s Magic and Everything Tomatoes, the Fruit of Love. When she's not cooking up a storm or buried in cookbooks, Christina loves to travel, with Italy being her favorite destination.

Tonya Russo Hamilton is a teacher and author in the greater Portland area. Her latest work Don't Cry in America, is inspired by her father's journey from a small town in southern Italy to Brooklyn, New York, and eventually Portland, Oregon. Her children's book, Tino and the Pomodori, is about a young boy who plants and harvests tomatoes with his grandfather in a small town just outside of Naples. It celebrates the wonders and beauty of Italian culture and the extraordinary bonds of family. Tonya's family hails from a small town north of Naples, and many of them still live there today. One of her favorite moments in Italy was watching the sunset in Sorrento. It was a spectacular sight, which ended with everyone cheering as the sun disappeared behind Mt. Vesuvius. 

Joanne Danna Schenk grew up in SE Portland in the same Italian neighborhood where her parents were raised.  Both parents are of Italian descent.  Her “Nannu” came over from Sicily (Trabia) when he was 11 years old.  Joanne had the privilege to visit his hometown and obtain marriage records of her great grandparents.  She was also able to visit the Catholic Church in Trabia where family marriages and baptisms would have taken place. Joanne retired in 2019 after 41 years as a dental hygienist. In her spare time she enjoys travel with her husband and friends (including 2 trips to Italy so far).  She also enjoys spending time with her kids and grandkids, the Oregon Coast, reading, gardening, and working out at the gym.  Joanne also enjoys baking “Nanna’s Best Biscotti.”  This is the biscotti recipe she learned from her Nanna and it has been lots of fun to share the biscotti that are made with love. Joanne is an active member of St Francis Catholic Church in Sherwood.

Josette (Santilli/Gallucci) Beach is the proud granddaughter of Italian immigrants who came to Oregon in the early 1900s.  As a second generation American Italian, she takes pride in her familial roots of Calabria (Aprigliano) and Abruzzo (Succiano).  Growing up in SE Portland’s little Italy, she connected with the Italian culture through strong family ties and friend gatherings.  She and her cousins continue their love of the Italian food culture by sharing their traditional family recipes together throughout the year.  She has recently written a family cookbook dedicated to the fourth generation of “littles” in the Santilli family with hope that the family recipes will carry on.  One of the highlights in her life was hosting an Italian exchange student for one year in her home in the Gladstone area and continuing to stay in touch with him and his family through numerous trips to Italy. Recently retired as the Director of the Dental Science Programs at Portland Community College, she now has more time to devote to learning more about the Italian culture, learning to speak the language and connecting with the surrounding Italian community. Spending time with her husband, two children and grandchild are her favorite things to do.

Jim (Amato) Draper is second generation Italian with grandparents coming from Termini Imerese, Sicily.  Jim lived in the house where his mom was born for his young life. The house being in the little Italy neighborhood of SE Portland.

He retired in 2015 and now enjoys traveling, gardening, golf and spending time with family and friends.  He also has the Italian tomato gene and grooms his tomatoes tenderly.

After spending 4 years in the US Army, Joe Cavalli studied History at the University of Portland in graduate school. For 10 years he taught internationally in Zagreb, Rome, Florence, and the Kingdom of Bahrain. He teaches US, World, and Pacific Northwest History at Clark College in Vancouver and is also the Program Director for the Model United Nations.

Ciao! My name is Tamara, and I am originally from Slovenia, but I’ve been living in Portland for the last four years, and I’m still eager to discover everything this city has to offer. We love living here, and yet whenever possible, my family takes time off and we travel abroad as we strongly believe in the importance of learning about other cultures. I hold a master’s degree in Law, but I’m passionate about learning and teaching foreign languages, and I love sharing that passion with my students of all ages.

Joseph Briglio has worked in Community Development for nearly 20 years and won awards for his creative approach to civic engagement and public service. He has managed affordable housing programs, environmental sustainability initiatives, a high-tech business incubator, as well as served in several urban planning roles. He is second generation Italian with familial links to the mountain towns of Calabria and the rolling hills of Campania, near Napoli. In his own home, he is known for being an expert barista and connoisseur of espresso. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys traveling, learning Italian, and playing/watching calcio (soccer). Forza Azzurri!