Benvenuti! The Italian Cultural Center - Il Punto connects diverse communities in the greater Seattle area and beyond through a common passion for Italian arts and culture. We organize events and offer Italian language instruction in a friendly, fun environment that builds on strong bonds between Italian expatriates, the Italian-American community and all enthusiasts of Italy.
Il Punto is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID 47-2538399. Our programs are open to everyone, but members receive discounts. Please consider becoming a member, volunteering, and donating to support our programs. Contact us for more information. Ci vediamo presto!
The Italian Cultural Center - Il Punto is operated and managed by its member-elected Board of Directors. Directors are confirmed at the annual business meeting of the members held on a specified date during the last quarter of each year. Any remaining open board positions are supplemented by Board election throughout the year.
President Tiziano Recchi - Tiziano is the son of Luigi M. Recchi and Bianca M. Sarno, two Italian painters living in Rome, Italy. Tiziano was born in Rome and grew up between Rome, Naples, Milan and Turin. He graduated from the University La Sapienza in Economics and Business. He moved to Dublin, Ireland in 1995 where he began working for Microsoft Corporation as a translator of software. Tiziano moved to the USA in 2000, and lives in Mercer Island. He’s is married with Laurie Gerson and father to two sons, Milo and Matteo Recchi. Tiziano’s passions are playing music, baking bread and coaching soccer. He joined Il Punto in 2021.
Treasurer Carlo Malaguzzi - born in Torino but besides spending long summers in Piedmont never lived there; he grew in Venice and Milan, lived in the Netherlands and Denmark, and eventually moved to the US and the PNW about 20 years ago.
He has enjoyed working with technology across Europe and the US and has been part of many of the life transformations that this has entailed - both in the consumer and enterprise domains.
He has a wife and 4 daughters, who all speak Italian and have been thoroughly exposed to Italian culture, and now live across both continents. He has been involved in multiple community and volunteering activities (adoption, cancer, immigration), has been involved with the Italian community since his move to the PNW, and has now been co-opted as Treasurer to Il Punto with a 2 years term. He currently also serves on the board of the Mercer Island FC.
Secretary Angela Sgarlata - Angela grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, before relocating to Seattle, Washington, in 2006 to attend the University of Washington, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. A proud third-generation Italian American, she values her cultural heritage and family traditions.
Throughout her career in the Pacific Northwest, Angela has contributed her expertise to several prominent local organizations, including ROOT SPORTS, University of Washington Athletics, and T-Mobile. In addition to her professional work, she has dedicated many years to volunteering with community-focused organizations such as the Seattle Animal Shelter, Urban ArtWorks, and the Northwest Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, Angela enjoys spending time with her two daughters, cooking, and continuing her study of the Italian language. She also serves on her daughter’s school PTA Board, supporting local education and family engagement.
Rae Wang Board Member at Large - Rae’s love for Italian culture and language brought her to Il Punto. She plays traditional Italian music with her accordion, she also enjoys immensely, the modern Italian music that “still possesses Italian elements”. “I believe you have to have your own unique element in order to capture the world”.
Rae has a doctorate degree in the field of Eastern medicine and practices near downtown Seattle. She leads Washington Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Association as a governing board member. Her passion and advocacy, especially for the traditional elements of the profession helped it expand its practice scope and recognition in our region.
She has lived in the Seattle area for almost 30 years. Rae spends a lot of time with her family and children traveling around the world, especially to areas where unique culture traditions are still alive.
Rebecca Morphis Board Member at Large, is originally from Kansas and brings a diverse sales background spanning tourism to cybersecurity. She spent several years living in Florence, Italy, where she immersed herself in the language, culture, and cuisine. Rebecca is passionate about bringing communities together while celebrating Italian heritage. She is married and the proud mother of a very active toddler.
Keith Morphis Board Member at Large - Originally from Kansas, Keith has been in the Seattle region for 20 years working in the local tech industry. As a father of young children, he spends most of his free time with his family and is a Noi Bimbi enthusiast. As the grandson of Italian immigrants he has studied the language and culture with great enjoyment and appreciates the community that Il Punto has built.
Mario Cazzanti Board Member at Large - Mario is from a small town near Ferrara and Ravenna. After classic studies he joined the science faculty in Milan, and spent time as a working-student teaching math in private and public schools. He later joined IBM close to Milan, leading IT projects, tools development and occasionally teaching programming languages and data analysis at the IBM Education Center. He traveled a lot in Europe but mainly in the US as liaison for the Order Process Convergence for all manufacturing plants of the company. His US office was in Rochester, MN which he called home. He has two sons, Stefano who is living in MN, and Luca in Seattle with two wonderful grandkids. He completed working in Italy in 2001 after 32 years of service, and worked 10 more years for the US plants before his full retirement. As a retiree, he now enjoys more time and is trying to give back to the community by supporting the local Italian Cultural Centers.
Lucrezia Tassi Board Member at Large - Born and raised near Bergamo in northern Italy, she began traveling the world with her parents at a very young age, which sparked a deep curiosity for languages and cultures. After studying languages in high school, she earned a degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures from Università Statale in Milan, writing her thesis on 9/11 and its impact on American literature.
After graduating, she sought a change and moved to Seattle to work as an au pair, where she fell in love with the city. Three years later, she returned to Italy, but continued to feel that her time in the Pacific Northwest wasn’t over. She is now an international student at North Seattle College, majoring in Early Childhood Education, and hopes to share Italian culture while working with young children in the future.