“A lot of Italian immigrants came to Vermont to work in the granite and marble quarries, and they were actively recruited because they were skilled stone cutters from Carrara and other parts of northern Italy, and they settled in Barre. Many other immigrants followed, and connections and businesses started. They came to work on the railroads, they were fruit and vegetable vendors, and then they opened stores.” Lisa DeNatale
I have long had a correspondence with this week’s guest, Lisa DeNatale, President of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association, and had the pleasure of meeting her in person when she visited Florence several months ago. We sat down to record the podcast via Zoom following that first in-person meeting and a trip I took with my daughter to look at colleges in Vermont. Join us for a conversation about Lisa’s relationship with Italy and her cultural heritage, and to hear some truly fascinating insights into the long, shared history between the Green Mountain State and il Bel Paese. Lisa is so skilled at what she does and relishes the chance to remind us of those deep bonds between Italy and Vermont and also helps people discover Italy in Vermont, to understand what came before, and what’s there now.
Committed to preserving that strong link and to keeping Italian and Italian American history and culture alive, through her work at VICA, Lisa cultivates and forges connections by providing contemporary examples of that friendship and through a plethora of occasions for networking, speaking in Italian, and finding community. Whether it is through VICA’s culinary, academic, literary, or musical events; or the trips, lectures, and social events they organize, Lisa is a tireless ambassador for Italy and for Italian and Italian American culture in Vermont and beyond.
Biography & Links
Lisa DeNatale is the President of the Vermont Italian Cultural Association. She grew up in Boston in an Italian and Albanian American family and current resides in the Green Mountain State. Lisa is a graduate of Boston College and worked for many years in Retail Marketing, Consumer Products, Marketing and Marketing Strategy for Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, Converse, Reebok and many others. She is former President and CEO at Special Olympics Vermont.
https://www.vermontitalianculturalassociation.org
https://www.facebook.com/VermontItalianCulturalAssociation
https://www.instagram.com/vtitalianassoc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-denatale-008ab719
Production Intern: RJ Plunkett
Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis