John M. Viola Resigns as President and COO of NIAF

(Washington, D.C. – September 25, 2017) The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) announces the resignation of John M. Viola, president and chief operating officer of NIAF, effective December 31, 2017. The NIAF Board has begun a search for Viola’s successor.
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 “John Viola’s leadership of NIAF connected the successor generation with its Italian culture, heritage and values,” said NIAF Co-Chair Patricia De Stacy Harrison. “His passion for NIAF’s mission and purpose will continue to shape our vision for the future.” "John's passion for the Italian American heritage and culture, and his leadership have enhanced and expanded the mission of NIAF,” said NIAF Co-Chair, Gabriel A. Battista. “I am so humbled to have been able to serve this Foundation that I have loved since the first time I walked into a NIAF gala at age 17,” said John M. Viola.

John Viola and Letizia Airos
New York Gala. Interviewing John Viola.
John Viola with Patricia De Stacy Harrison, Ottorino Cappelli and Letizia Airos
John Viola visits i-Italy headquarters in New York

“For my entire life, I have been passionate about Italian American history and culture, so this was always my dream job, and I hope my efforts over the past six years have been worthy of this community I'm so proud to be a part of. Italian American culture has a bright future, and I am looking forward to finding new ways to serve our community for decades to come.”

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a graduate of Fordham University, Viola was hired as the foundation’s Chief Operating Officer in February, of 2012, and elected president a year later. He is the first president in the Foundation’s four-decade history elected from its Board of Directors.

Viola is also the United States Delegate for the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, one of the oldest Chivalric Orders in the world. Previously, Viola served on NIAF’s Italian American Youth Activities Committee, worked as a marketing and acquisitions consultant with AllPlayers.com, and co-founded ELITE Learning of Brooklyn, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fundamental reform and improvement of inner-city education.

He also co-founded and served as general director of the Pope John Paul II Family Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was director of the Madonna della Neve Foundation.

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The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and protecting the Italian American heritage and culture. To learn more about the Foundation and become a member, please visit www.niaf.org. 

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on Richard DiDonato (not verified) wrote

Viola out--

good....maybe this time they can find someone who doesn't wear absurd clown suits... oh, yes, and while they're at it; how 'bout finding someone who has the courage, character and moral integrity to denounce Columbus for the dirty bastard sadistic murderer he actually was (with all the truly great Italian geniuses to choose from, the Italians in this country INSIST on clinging to the lie of this guy who wasn't even sailing in the name of Italy!!--he was, as we all know, a low-life mercenary whoring his services out to Spain--Jesus Christ!) and maybe they can find someone who who can move beyond hackneyed guinea cliches and Alt Right jingoism--good luck finding an Italo-American with those qualifications...
on Dick Alexander (not verified) wrote

"my apology to John Viola"

Okay, here's a follow-up to my own post entitled: "Viola out" shown above--This is an apology, yes, and a sincere one, however, it does come with some caveats, which i'll get to at the end of this post: My brother (who is older, and i suppose wiser) saw this post of mine entitled; "Viola out", and wrote to me; he was very upset with my negative approach and felt it totally unconstructive and that i "won" nothing; and that it said more about the person who wrote it (me) than the subject i was ranting about (John Viola, and consequently, Columbus)---well, the first few days i simply disregarded it and chalked it up as just another instance of my brother and myself disagreeing on 'everything'---but then, after a few days, it started to get to me, and i opened my mind to the possibility that he might have a valid point--eventually i decided to post this apology to John Viola, and i hope he gets around to seeing this: My comments about Mr. Viola were made in an ugly, nasty (and the most embarrassing one: immature) manner; and as my brother said: revealed more about me than him (Viola)--i would imagine my comments stemmed from resentment: my own feelings of inadequacy and lack of achievement when comparing my accomplishments to John Viola's...and that leveling such remarks against others makes me feel better about myself--well, i'm no psychiatrist, so i'll leave that in the realm of speculation, for now--- Okay; here's the caveat part: while i sincerely apologize for my post; i do call on John to come forward and address the nagging question of the legitimacy--and moral correctness--of the continued use of Columbus as the supposedly "best" representation of Italian history and legacy in America--in short: "The Columbus Dilemma"--and it 'is' a dilemma; especially for politicians and foundation types (like John) who have to parse their remarks and speak out of both sides of their mouths (which is the thing that really drives me up the wall)----so, i call on Mr. Viola to speak the truth, especially now that he isn't constrained by his political position at the foundation--i mean, really, Italo-American politicians and academic types, and organizations and foundations MUST face the truth and must listen to their moral compass--it's way too late to play the same old double-speak and stick blindly to the old jingoistic myth, and emotions, attached to this misguided patriotism superimposed over the Columbus legacy (which as we have found out in recent years: is a lie, and a suppression of his real and terrible character)--and lastly; they conveniently overlook the fact that the guy was a bloody 'mercenary' selling his services to the highest bidder, and was NOT sailing in the name, and honor, of Italy! (need i list the names of the fantastic geniuses we could choose from who were 'true' Italians in their talents, and loyalties to their fellow countrymen?) So let's have this conversation, John, and do it in the way my brother would like to see it done--I'm really looking forward to an effort to create constructive unity and happiness in this country, which needs it so badly in these times of ours---Sincerely, Dick Alexander