Executive Board Officers

Jennie Hauschild

President

Jennie grew up in Iowa, but settled in New York City after graduating from the University of Iowa. She worked in public education teaching Spanish, writing curriculum, and developing world language programs with a focus on student retention. She also coordinated group travel and led tours through Spain and Peru. Jennie moved to Rome in 2020 and now manages Airbnb apartments with her husband. She also offers tour experiences, and teaches English. “I look forward to promoting AWAR and building connections with other members and the community.”

Cyd Margulies

Vice President

Cyd was born and raised in Texas and studied dance at Southern Methodist University, where she earned her Bachelor of Performing Arts degree. After dancing professionally for several years, she moved to New York and lived there for nine years before marrying her husband and beginning a life of international adventure. Over the past 21 years, Cyd and her family have lived in Serbia, Romania, Malta, Kyrgyzstan, El Salvador, and now Rome. Along the way, she has been actively involved with several International Women’s Associations, which she says have made every overseas experience more meaningful and rewarding. Since moving to Rome, Cyd has loved exploring everything Italy has to offer and is excited to connect with other women and contribute to AWAR.

Amanda Dobson

Treasurer

Amanda was born in Georgia, USA. At the age of 16, she moved to Italy with her family, an experience that shaped both her personal and professional path. She attended high school in Genova before relocating to Rome to pursue her university studies at John Cabot University. Amanda has built her career in international development, working across diverse cultural and professional environments. Over the years, she has lived in Italy, Germany, and Ivory Coast, strengthening her global perspective and expertise. She currently serves as a Financial Management Expert for the United Nations, where she applies her extensive knowledge to support international programs and sustainable development initiatives.

Zoe Milak

Secretary

Zoe Milak is from the Chicago suburbs. She first came to Rome as a study abroad student at Loyola University-Chicago’s Rome Campus. While traveling, she met her future husband on a train back to Rome. She eventually settled in Rome in 1997 after graduating from the University of Chicago’s law school. She immediately joined AWAR in an effort to find friendship, info, and a place to anchor. Fortunately, she found a very active Juniors group and ended up making lifelong friendships. She was an active member of AWAR serving on as Secretary in the late 1990s. She transitioned from taking part in the professional and adult groups, to more family-based activities. As her children grew older, she drifted away from AWAR, returning later as her two daughters entered university, seeking connection and sisterhood. She is looking forward to giving back to an organization that has given so much to her, a second home of sorts, over the last nearly 30 years in Rome.

Committee Chairs

Araceli (Sally) Cardenas

Events Chair

Sally is an independent consultant specializing in communications and multimedia at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome. Originally from the United States, she has lived in Rome for 20 years, blending her extensive local knowledge with a passion for history, storytelling, and food and wine. In 2008, she pursued the opportunity of a lifetime by joining Rome Reports, an independent TV news agency focused on Vatican coverage. In 2009, Sally founded ROME Today TV and Tours to create memorable experiences for visitors traveling to Italy. Her unique perspective as an ex-pat, combined with her passion for serving others, allows her to carefully curate customized tours that showcase the best of Italy, from sacred locations relevant to the spiritual journeys of Saint Peter and Apostle Paul to the country’s hidden culinary treasures.Price has lived in Rome since September of 2022.  Before moving to Rome, she lived in Indiana, Ohio, and Washington DC.  Nine years after receiving her undergraduate degree, she returned to law school and upon graduation, at 38 years of age, made her first trip to Rome for the 2000 Jubilee. She then practiced law, most recently for a large corporation. As the stress of corporate life started to impact her health, she decided to retire early and pursue the good life. She lives in Trastevere and can be found most days exploring the glories of Rome.

Andrea Gerstenblatt

Activities Chair

Andrea moved to Rome about two years ago after marrying her Italian husband. She grew up in Rhode Island, but spent most of her adult life on Long Island in New York working as a teacher/school librarian before retiring and moving to Rome. She graduated from Union College with a degree in modern languages, and later earned master’s degrees in elementary education and library and information science. She studied in France during junior year of college it led to future travels all over the world. She enjoys playing tennis, volunteering, traveling, going to restaurants and museums, and discovering new places. She’s looking forward to being the Activities Chair and excited to meet more members at the activities!

Linda Garrido

Membership Chair

Linda is NYC born and bred, but spent a good portion of her adult life in Spain where she lived and worked for over 20 years. She worked in the pharmaceutical industry both in Spain and in the US for over 30 years providing behavioral based market research insights to help launch and commercialize some of the largest selling drugs in pharmaceutical history. Marketing research fulfilled Linda’s passion for understanding the root causes of health disparities and how to improve patient/doctor dialogue, especially in underserved communities. Linda is a dual American/Italian citizen from birth and after working and living in Manhattan for 25 years decided she wanted to spend the rest of her life in Italy. Her dream came true when her company offered to transfer her to Rome in 2022. She has since retired and is enjoying this beautiful country’s art, architecture and food, making it a point to visit every region of Italy.

Joan Malloy

Community Services Chair

Joan Malloy, born in Cleveland, graduated from Denison University and Rhode Island School of Design, and is a licensed architect and project manager who built a career in design and construction of luxury hospitality across New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Spain, and Greece. In 2009, a visit to Carrara and a design project in Assisi brought her to Umbria, where she met her husband, Giovanni Baiano of Antica Fornace Deruta. She found what she was looking for in Italy — a sense of home and family. They married in 2010 and live in Deruta with their son Federico. Joan looks forward to fostering volunteer engagement that reflects AWAR’s values of service, friendship, and cultural connection.

Lori Chee

Sustaining Membership Chair

Meet Lori, a Los Angeles native and avid traveler with a passion for helping tech startups launch and grow. She runs a growth marketing consultancy, working in New York and San Francisco for the past 15 years. In 2021, she decided to relocate to Spain, where she unexpectedly met her future husband, an Italian history professor working on his next book. Fast forward to 2023, Lori has now settled in Rome, embracing her new home with enthusiasm. She feels incredibly grateful for the chance to connect with so many wonderful women through AWAR and is excited to contribute to the organization.

Erica Zmitrovitch

FAWCO Representative

Erica Zmitrovitch is a two-time vice president of AWAR. She holds degrees in Marketing and International Relations from New York University and a master’s degree in Marketing Science from Columbia University. Erica has worked in advertising and film production for more than two decades. Today she represents a group of internationally renowned photographers and directors. She recently founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability in our communities.

Liz Grauman

Forum Editor

Liz Grauman was born and raised in Montana and studied photojournalism at the University of Montana. She first came to Rome in 2005 for a college course in history and, like any good American student, promptly fell in love with a local. After returning to Montana to graduate, she worked as an art director at the San Diego Union-Tribune and later moved east to design and edit at The New York Times. She married that Italian guy, returned to Rome with him and their baby girl, and is now the visual director for their portfolio of commercial real estate and vacation rentals in Rome and Florence. They have since added two more daughters to the family, and Liz spends her free time cooking, eating, and traveling throughout Italy.