AIU’s Latino Family Center director receives ATHENA Scholarship

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) is proud to announce that Rosamaria Cristello, director of the Latino Family Center, has been named as the recipient of the Barbara McNees Spirit of ATHENA Award Scholarship. Cristello will attend, tuition-free, the 2016-17 session of the Carnegie Mellon Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women, a six-month, 100-hour academy and part of the executive education certificate program at CMU’s Tepper School of Business.

A member of the AIU’s educational team since 2013, Cristello serves the region’s Latino community through her leadership of the Latino Family Center, the only family support center in southwestern Pennsylvania designed specifically to meet the needs of the area’s growing Latino community. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Cristello is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Pittsburgh and holds bachelor’s degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

The Latino Family Center is one of 10 family centers operated by the AIU that every year provide support services to hundreds of families in Allegheny County. Lori Zimmer, director of the AIU’s Family and Community Education Services Department, said that Cristello inspires her staff, colleagues and those whom she serves.

“Rosamaria is a true servant-leader. She understands the complexities that our families face every day and is able to work with organizations throughout the region to bring resources to an underserved population,” she said.

The scholarship was created to honor and extend the legacy of Barbara McNees, who co-founded the ATHENA Awards Program of Greater Pittsburgh which recognizes female leaders who mentor other women.

Cristello was introduced at the annual Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Awards luncheon on Monday, Sept. 26. Attended by nearly 900 people, the event is among the largest ATHENA events in the world.