PRESIDENT- Giuliana Marple
Kathy Schalter serves as Vice President of the Utah Italian Cultural Association, bringing together her love for Italy, the Italian language, and her Italian heritage with a lifelong passion for building community. With extensive experience in leadership and nonprofit development, Kathy is passionate about creating opportunities for people throughout Utah to connect with Italian language, culture, traditions, and one another.
LAURA MARONE
Italian Teacher, Conversation Coordinator
Laura is from Napoli, Italy, where she worked as a pastry chef and cake designer. When she moved to the States, she completed her M.A. in Spanish Literature at the University of Utah. She is trilingual and taught Culinary Arts at college level for 9 years and first, second year and upper-level Spanish classes at the at the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University and Westminster College. Currently, she is a full-time Adult Services librarian at the Salt Lake City Library and is teaching Spanish courses at SLCC. She loves traveling, reading, cooking, and photography .
Rich Schalter — Treasurer
Rich Schalter serves as Treasurer of the Utah Italian Cultural Association, bringing decades of business and leadership experience to the organization. Having traveled extensively throughout Italy, Rich has developed a deep appreciation for its people, culture, history, and traditions. He enjoys helping UICA build a welcoming community where others can discover and share that same love of Italy.
Silvana Giberti- Teacher
Silvana was born and raised in Torino, Italy, a city near the Alps with a rich heritage. She graduated from the University of Torino and started her career as a software engineer. After moving to the U.S. with her family, she began teaching Italian classes in person and online, leading Italian conversation groups, and providing private tutoring. Her classes are relaxed and interactive, and lessons are tailored to each learner’s interests and needs, balancing grammar, conversation, and culture. In her free time, she enjoys the great outdoors near Salt Lake City, often hiking, skiing, and visiting Utah's many beautiful parks.
Gaetana Cummaudo- Lead Teacher
From Catania, Italy, Gaetana holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics and currently teaches Italian at the University of Utah. She loves introducing students to la bella lingua, making every lesson an invitation to explore Italy’s history, traditions, and way of life. Whether introducing students to their first ciao or to more advanced conversations, her goal is to make learning engaging, meaningful, and fun. Through her work with the Utah Italian Cultural Association, she hopes to spark curiosity and share a little of the joy, warmth, and charm that make Italy so unforgettable.
Rossella Pucci - Teacher
Rosa is from Rome and loves sharing her language and culture. She is inspired by Italy’s history, art, and cuisine, and enjoys connecting with people from different backgrounds. Her goal is to help students gain confidence in Italian while exploring the traditions that bring it to life.
