L'Italo-Americano

SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano C r e a t i n g a l i f e s t r a d d l i n g t w o nations is not an e a s y t a s k . Y e t E l i s a b e t t a Valentini, honorary con- sul of Italy in Seattle, car- ries it off seamlessly. Born in Perugia, Valentini moved to the US with her family in 1998, settling in Los Angeles for a year where she volunteered to help reorga- nize the library at the Italian C u l t u r a l C e n t e r . S h e t h e n m o v e d t o S e a t t l e f o r f o u r years where she taught Ital- i a n . I n 2 0 0 2 , t h e f a m i l y r e t u r n e d t o P e r u g i a , t h e n back to Seattle in 2010. At that point, she teamed up with friend Roberta Torg- erson to teach Italian at Per- c o r s o I t a l i a n o , w h e r e s h e brings a special mix of joy, enthusiasm, and skill into weekly language classes. Valentini was named hon- orary consul of Italy in late 2018, serving Washington, Idaho and Montana under the jurisdiction of the Gener- al Consulate in San Francis- co. Although it's a relatively recent appointment, it's a role she has trained for since she was a girl. Her father, Mario Valenti- ni, was mayor of Perugia in the 1990s and one of the key backers promoting Seattle and Perugia as sister cities. In 1993 Elisabetta traveled to Seattle with her father and Bepi Vicarelli to participate in the official signing ceremo- ny with Seattle Mayor Norm Rice. H e r p a s s i o n f o r s e r v i c e and volunteerism has contin- ued unabated for the past t h r e e d e c a d e s . V a l e n t i n i serves on the board of direc- t o r s o f b o t h t h e S e a t t l e Perugia Sister City Asso- c i a t i o n a n d i t s I t a l i a n cohort, the Perugia Com- mittee. She has been a coor- dinator for the University of Perugia's international rela- tions program and developed many cultural and artistic exchanges between the two cities. L ' I t a l o - A m e r i c a n o spoke with Valentini recent- ly about her duties as hon- o r a r y c o n s u l , h e r l o v e o f Italy, and her commitment to both the city of her birth and her adopted city of Seat- tle. What are your duties as an honorary consul? This is a voluntary posi- tion created to support Ital- ian, American and Italian American communities in three states: Washington, Idaho and Montana. I do this by providing a variety of services. I answer questions on many topics, such as how to apply or renew a passport or what one needs to do to live or work in Italy. I gather biometric data for nationals who are applying for pass- p o r t s , a n d I h e l p I t a l i a n nationals who find them- selves in danger and need immediate assistance. I also support Italian organiza- tions and activities in the three-state region and assist the San Francisco consulate. In what ways do you assist the General Con- sulate in San Francisco? The San Francisco con- sulate serves the largest geo- graphic region in the US as far as Italy is concerned. It includes the three west coast states and also Idaho, Mon- tana and Utah, along with Hawaii and Alaska. I look for networking opportuni- ties and ways to extend the friendship and collaboration that exist between our two countries, searching to cre- ate more cultural activities and forge stronger relation- ships. Based in one of the fasting growing cities in the US and in close cooperation with the General Consulate, we support initiatives that increase opportunities for I t a l i a n c o m p a n i e s i n t h e Northwest commercially and as investment prospects for S e a t t l e a n d W a s h i n g t o n companies in Italy. I also participate in the Consular Association of Washington, which has members from about 45 countries. We get together every month to net- work and learn more about g o v e r n m e n t , c o m m u n i t y and business leaders in our state. What was involved in y o u r n o m i n a t i o n process? T h e p r e v i o u s h o n o r a r y consul, Franco Tesorieri, was thinking of retiring from the post. He put my name up for consideration. I sub- mitted my CV for review and then had to be approved by both Italian and American authorities. What qualities do you bring to this post? First, I love my country, and I am proud to promote opportunities that will help m y c o u n t r y a n d I t a l i a n n a t i o n a l s r e a l i z e g r e a t e r potential. Seattle is a promi- nent city in the US, respect- ed abroad as the home of several important global cor- porations. I also enjoy net- working and bringing people together. When people work together, they are so power- ful and can accomplish so much more. Where can people find you? I am hosted in the new Casa Italiana/Italian Cultur- al Center in Burien. When I was first appointed, I was hosted by Il Punto in north Seattle but I relocated once C a s a I t a l i a n a o p e n e d i n 2021. I like the synergy that is provided by having my office hosted by one of the local Italian groups. What do you like most about being an honorary consul? At Casa Italiana, I interact not only with Italian nation- als but also with the local Italian American communi- ty. One of my favorite things to do is to listen to the sto- ries people bring to my office - w h y t h e i r g r a n d p a r e n t s immigrated, what struggles they endured, how impor- tant it is for them to main- tain their Italian heritage. I a m s o p r o u d o f o u r l o c a l community and its enthusi- astic support for so many Italian and Italian American projects. The most recent was the Migration Project, an art exhibit at the Museo Civico in Perugia. The exhib- it featured artists from both S e a t t l e a n d P e r u g i a w h o i n t e r p r e t e d t h e t h e m e o f migration. It was very well received in Perugia. When you are not pro- moting Italian culture, what do you like to do? I love spending time with my family. I enjoy dinner with friends, reading and going to the movies, espe- cially in the fall when SIFF hosts Cinema Italian Style. Another wonderful week of Italian culture! Consul General of Italy Sergio Strozzi meets with Seattle's honorary consul Elisabetta Valentini in his recent visit to Seattle (Photo: Elisabetta Valentini) M e e t E l i s a b e t t a V a l e n t i n i , S e a t t l e ' s honorary consul of Italy RITA CIPALLA The office of the honorary consul of Italy is hosted by Casa Italiana/Italian Cultural Center in Burien (Photo: PercorsoItaliano).

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