Communications Executive Director named Christopher Columbus Woman of the Year
Maria Margiotta, Executive Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Newark, has been named the Christopher Columbus Woman of the Year by The Italian Tribune, the Italian-American newspaper started in 1931.
Margiotta, surrounded by family, friends, and work colleagues, was honored at the Columbus Awards Gala on Friday, Oct. 6, at The Birchwood Manor in Whippany. The gala, which honored eight other Italian Americans, celebrates outstanding Italian American achievement.
“Maria has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to spreading a message of faith that bridges the gap between all ordinances and communities, as she has ensured that Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s mission, values, and message resonate with all communities,” Italian Tribune publisher Buddy Fortunato told the crowd during the awards ceremony.
While accepting her honor, Margiotta — a first-generation Italian American — paid tribute to her Italian roots.
“Being part of a community that values faith, family, tradition, and resilience is a privilege,” Margiotta said in her speech. “Our Italian roots have shaped us in profound ways. It is a heritage that has nurtured determination to embrace courage, explore new horizons, succeed, and excel in our chosen paths, and commit to making our mark on the world, much like the explorer Christopher Columbus.”
Her parents, Angelo and Nicoletta Diele, born in Bari in the Puglia region of Italy, immigrated to Canada, and then Pearl River, N.Y. once they received visas.
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“Like so many others, they immigrated here with little but a dream,” Margiotta said. “They journeyed across the Atlantic with a steamer trunk full of some personal belongings, less than $100 in their pockets, and a pregnant belly.”
In Pearl River, the family of four settled in the basement of a family member’s home. Her mother labored on an assembly line at a local pharmaceutical factory, and her dad was a tailor at a retail clothing store. Eventually, her parents opened their own shop where her father was a tailor and her mother a seamstress.
Margiotta said her mother — who attended the gala — and her late father kept their Italian heritage alive after leaving their homeland. That love was passed down to Margiotta and is evidenced in her fluency in Italian and her appreciation for Italian arts, culture, and cuisine, which she has since passed down to her children.
Margiotta’s parents were also able to send her to college, where she earned a Master of Public Relations degree from Iona University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Fordham University. She has since led a successful career in public relations and marketing, eventually becoming the communications director for Englewood Hospital.
Since taking over the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Communications in 2019, Margiotta has developed communications policies, managed crisis communications, and generated positive local news coverage for the Archdiocese’s ministries and its parishes and Catholic schools. Using various communications platforms, she ensures the Archdiocese’s mission, values, and messages resonate with the 1.3 million Catholics, 212 parishes, and 73 schools within the Archdiocese of Newark.
Outside of her career, Margiotta is an artist who enjoys expressing her Catholic faith and love of Italian landscape and Renaissance art in her work.
But Margiotta considers her family her main priority. During her acceptance remarks, she expressed that she sees this as an essential aspect of Italian culture.
Margiotta and her husband of 28 years, Dr. Vincent Margiotta, met as undergraduate students at Fordham University in the Bronx. Together, they proudly raised two children. Their son, Vincent Margiotta, started his first year at Fordham Law School in August, and their daughter, Nicole Margiotta, recently started her first year at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Vincent and Nicole co-authored a book, “How to Raise Successful Parents: Life Lessons Learned from Grateful Offspring,” that offers strategies and tips on integrating strong values into raising a family based on their experiences with their parents.
“As a proud Italian-American daughter, I consider it both my privilege and responsibility to preserve [my family’s] legacy, honoring my parents for their lifelong sacrifices and passing it on to future generations,” Margiotta said. “The joy and fulfillment of sharing this with my children, who are now charting their paths in professional careers at law school and medical school, is immeasurable.”
This isn’t the first time Margiotta has been honored as an outstanding Italian American. She proudly represented her Italian heritage when she was awarded the title of Miss Columbus for the Columbus Day Parade in Suffern, N.Y., in 1983.
“Maria’s dedication to her family is evident in her personal and professional life,” The Italian Tribune article read. “As a mother, wife, and daughter, she understands the importance of nurturing strong relationships and providing unwavering support while proudly honoring her Italian lineage and serving as a dedicated professional and faithful advocate in her Catholic Community.”
Featured image: Italian Tribune publisher Buddy Fortunato giving Maria Margiotta her Christopher Columbus award on Friday. Oct. 6. (Courtesy The Italian Tribune)
