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.”

Liz Grauman

Vice President

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.

Belinda Knudson

Treasurer

A graduate of both Wheaton College and the University of Oklahoma, Belinda has called Rome home for the past 3 years. She is a certified Career Coach and Global Career Development Facilitator, currently working with private clients through a boutique career services agency. Belinda is an active local volunteer and serves on the board of directors for the American Overseas School of Rome. Since joining AWAR, she has been warmly welcomed by this exceptional group and looks forward to contributing to the organization.

Dorothy Dowling

Secretary

I came to Italy as a young woman, met and married Enrico Scillia and together we made a life here in Rome. I am originally from New York City, a graduate of Strayer Junior College in Washington, D.C. and followed up with Bachelor’s courses at Hunter College of New York. Over the years, I worked for a number of multinational companies here in Rome and also became a translator. I joined AWAR in the mid-eighties and have enjoyed the benefits of friendships and a sense of belonging. Together with other AWAR members, we co-organized the Professionals (in the days just before internet took the world by storm), meeting in the evening for networking and a speaker. There followed several years with mostly participation in the AWAR Villa Taverna Garden Party (my husband was awarded a “good husband” certificate for using our car to bring goodies to the Party). Several years ago I retired from my position as legal secretary and special events planner in an international law firm and was able to dedicate more time to AWAR. I was First Vice President in the 2015-2016 AWAR year, and President for two terms, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. Later I was Historian 2019/2020. Lately I have enjoyed assisting the Forum editor. Travel is still an important part of my life, as well as cultural visits and events, and living in this amazing Eternal City.

Committee Chairs

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.

Melanie Price

Forum Editor

Melanie hails from Indianapolis, Indiana, and relocated to Rome in mid-2022. Before she retired, in 2022, Melanie was a regulatory lawyer for Duke Energy, where she litigated cases before regulatory agencies on all aspects of electricity generation, delivery, and customer usage. Melanie joined AWAR soon after arriving in Rome and is enthusiastic about joining the Board and working on the Forum.

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.

Caryn Hofberg

Activities Chair

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and lived most of my life there, although I spent 8 years in San Francisco.  I had an extensive career as an Account Manager selling Office Automation to Fortune 500 companies. In the five years before I moved to Rome, I was a caretaker for my mother until her passing at the age of 100. Prior to that, I had a store in the Historic District of downtown Los Angeles called FLEA, which was like a flea market in a store.  I started the Historic Downtown Merchants Association and was president for three years.  During that time, I also provided interior design and professional organizing services.  In my spare time, I love painting, going to art museums and galleries, and playing with my two cats, Pia and Frankie.  I currently live in the Quartiere Trieste in Rome. I have now lived here for two and a half years and love it. I'm happy to call Rome home.

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

Archivist

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.

Isabella Blakeley

Social Media Chair

Isabella grew up in Arizona and Virginia and moved to Rome in 2021 for university. After falling in love with the city (and an Italian), she decided to stay and pursue a career in tourism. Isabella now works as a Luxury Travel Designer at the luxury DMC Access Italy. She became an AWAR member in 2024 and is excited to take over the role of Social Media Chair, not only share the wonderful events but also connect AWAR with a larger audience.