Honorable Armando Varricchio, newly-appointed Ambassador of Italy to the United States, will be the guest of honor at the NIAF-Frank J. Guarini Public Policy Forum Luncheon. Ambassador Varricchio will be welcomed to Capitol Hill by The Foundation’s leadership, U.S. Members of Congress, government officials, business and community leaders, media and other notables.

 

Ambassador Varricchio will be discussing his vision for his tenure in the United States, and will welcome questions from the guests.

 

The Co-Chairmen of the Italian American Congressional Delegation, Representatives Pat Tiberi(Ohio) and Bill Pascrell (N.J.), will introduce Ambassador Varricchio to Representatives Michael Capuano (Mass.); Virginia Foxx (N.C.); Joe Heck (Nev.) and Brad Wenstrup (Ohio). NIAF’s leadership will be represented by the Foundation’s President John M. Viola; Vice Chairs Patricia de Stacy Harrison and Gabriel A. Battista; the Foundation’s Government Relations and Public Policy Committee Chair Mark Valente lll, and Board member Anita Bevacqua McBride.

Ambassador Varricchio began his career in Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986. The following year, he was appointed to the Italian Embassy in Budapest. In 1992, he was appointed to the Italian Mission to the European Commission, in Rome. He served as counselor at the Prime Minister’s Office in charge of the European and Asia Desk in 1996. Four years later, he became chief of staff to the Minister for European Affairs; and then, in 1999, he was appointed diplomatic advisor to the President of the European Commission and personal representative (sherpa) at the G7 and G8 Summits in Okinawa, Genoa and Kananaskis (Alberta, Canada). He was posted in 2002 to the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C., in charge of economic, trade and scientific affairs. On his return to Rome in 2006, he was appointed deputy diplomatic advisor to the President of the Republic and named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgrade in 2009. Ambassador Varricchio returned again to Rome in 2012 to serve as deputy secretary general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before becoming, in 2013, the diplomatic advisor and G7 and G20 Sherpa of the Prime Minister. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Ambassador. In 2016, he was appointed Ambassador of Italy to the United States.

NIAF is nonpartisan and serves as an important voice for Italian Americans in Washington, D.C. The Foundation works closely with Congress, The White House, the Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Rome, and the Italian Embassy in Washington to promote Italian American heritage and serve as a bipartisan educational foundation. As a unified voice on issues of importance to Italian Americans, the Foundation builds relationships with key decision makers on behalf of the Italian American community and serves as a resource and thought leader for politicians, policy makers and diplomats. Visit www.niaf.org [2].