Honoring the 2016 Noiaw Three Wise Women

The Greater New York Region of the National Organization of Italian American Women  (NOIAW) will honor three of New York’s outstanding Italian American women at its annual Epiphany, Celebration on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, at 6:30 pm at the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

The event celebrates the achievements of Three “Wise Women”: Donna Corrado, Ph.D., LCSW of the NYC  Department of Aging; Carin Guarasci of Wagner College; and Sue Matthews of Conquering Kidz Cancer. 

 Donna Corrado, PhD, LCSW, serves as Commissioner of the NYC Department for the Aging and has  dedicated her career to expanding and improving social services for NYC’s most vulnerable residents. She  has displayed deep compassion and creativity in responding to human needs, particularly as a champion for  older adults. She previously provided 22 years of dedicated service to Catholic Charities Neighborhood  Services – Brooklyn and Queens. 

 Carin Guarasci is Professor of Education & Director of New Educators at Wagner College. 

She was inspired to create the New Educators at Wagner (NEW) program in 2009 by data revealing that  nearly half of all new teachers leave the field within the first 5 years — primarily due to a lack of support.  The NEW program nurtures Staten Island teachers who may otherwise become a part of that grim statistic. 

Ms. Guarasci has more than 25 years of experience as a teacher and administrator, dedicating herself to  inspiring, educating and supporting children at risk and to mentoring new teachers.

 Sue Matthews is the President of Conquering Kidz Cancer (CKC), a 501c(3) nonprofit organization  dedicated to raising awareness and funding research into cures for pediatric cancers. As its leader, Sue is a  tireless advocate for pediatric cancer research and awareness and is actively involved in advocating for  children with cancer in memory of her daughter, Taylor, who founded this non-profit at age 11. She is a CPA  and was a Senior Manager at Deloitte specializing in mergers & acquisitions. She is writing a memoir of 

Taylor’s journey to help parents facing the tragedy of having a child diagnosed with cancer.

MaryRose Barranco Morris, EdD, President of NOIAW’s Greater New York Region and Founder of the Staten  Island Network, said, “Each of NOIAW’s honorees serves as a role model to young women and an inspiration to  the Italian American community. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments.”

Tickets for the Epiphany Celebration start at $125 and are available at noiaw.org. For sponsorship information, 

e-mail [email protected] or call 212-642-2003. 

The National Organization of Italian American Women is the only national organization for women of Italian  ancestry. They celebrate and preserve Italian heritage, culture and language. Through cultural programs, special  events, networking opportunities, mentoring, scholarship and cultural exchange initiatives NOIAW seek to promote  and support the achievements of women of Italian ancestry in the workplace and the community. 

For more  information about NOIAW, its members and programs, or to become a member, visit www.noiaw.org.

The National Organization of Italian American Women, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. 

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.