Staff Bios
Erin
Erin Cinelli, Executive Director
I have been involved with Spannocchia on and off for 12 years. I started in the Fall of 1994 as an intern during a break between high school and college. After graduating from Middlebury College in January 1999 with a double Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art History, I returned to Portland, ME for one year before moving to Italy in March 2000. During my first year at Spannocchia, I restructured the Internship Program and worked with the staff to improve communication and organization within the guest operation. In my second year, I took on the additional responsibilities of Operations Manager, and continued developing the Internship Program while helping my family work on a vision for the future of Spannocchia.
In January 2002, I returned to the US, and assisted my family to develop the preliminary plans for creating the Spannocchia Foundation and have worked closely since then with other members of Cinelli family and the Spannocchia Foundation Board of Trustees to build Spannocchia into a multifaceted educational center focused on encouraging dialogue about preserving cultural landscapes for future generations, using Spannocchia as an example. I have been the Executive Director of the Spannocchia Foundation in Portland, ME, since its incorporation in 2002, and I have been involved with every aspect of the organization’s growth from filing the incorporation paperwork to participating in the development of a strategic plan that will guide Spannocchia through 2010. I completed a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management at the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine in February 2005, where I had the opportunity use my experience with the Spannocchia Foundation to better understand how organizations grow and develop over time, and how I can best make a contribution to Spannocchia now, and in the future.
Lisa & Jonah
Lisa Pascal Mack, Program Director
Having recently returned from Spannocchia after attending a woodblock printmaking program with Sabra Field, it is always a pleasure to visit Spannocchia and see all of our hard work in action. The Castello is bustling with energy with farmhouse guests, program participants and interns absorbing the community and countryside of Spannocchia. I am constantly in awe of an organization with such an amazing supportive and enthusiastic group of members. This year with the help of Daniela Casarin we created the first Food and Wine Program at Spannocchia. A small group of people joined to learn about the educational activities at Spannocchia from the Cinta Senese Pigs to Olive Oil and Tuscan Cooking. We immersed ourselves in the flavor and spirit of Spannocchia. We traveled to a local cheese maker and winery near Montalcino and walked some of the quiet streets of the hilltop villages. It was so wonderful to share in the joys of Italy and the passion of the Tuscan people. As always, I reminisce of my previous days of leading cycling trips past Ponte della Pia and Spannocchia, and my wedding day in the village of Montichiello. I am fortunate to work with the varied and talented program coordinators who offer such wonderful programs to our members and guests. It has been gratifying to create long term relationships with the coordinators, and it is always enjoyable to see them at the Castello, sharing in one of the marvelous community dinners. It is amazing how the family of programs has grown over the past three years and the now overwhelming requests for program space. Our programs have been expanding focus areas, while remaining a balanced group of adult and student programs. New facilities such as the ceramic kiln, have been created and more extra-curricular activities are available to guests. With my attendance at the National Council of Ceramic Education Conference in Oregon this year, my goal is to encourage more ceramic program offerings in the future. It has been satisfying to be a part of the growing changes of Spannocchia and I look forward to helping to create even more interesting, fun and worthwhile activities to our members.