Career Conversations Alumnae Panel Series 2025 Program
CAREERSINBEAUTY
Hair & Cosmetics Industry- Chemistry, Business and Sales
SESSION 1 Monday, February 10, 2025
GABRIELLE BARONE ’15
Manufacturing Development Engineer, PhytogenX, Inc.
Gabrielle has a background in chemical engineering and currently works as a contract manufacturer specializing in cosmetic products. As a Manufacturing Development Engineer, she focuses on optimizing and managing the manufacturing processes for skin care, hair care, and body care. Gabrielle plays a key role in scaling formulations from small lab batches to large-scale production, addressing the unique challenges that come with this transition. A significant portion of her work involves troubleshooting scale up issues and implementing risk mitigation strategies to ensure quality outcomes. Gabrielle graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.
RAEANNE KASCLE ’16
Retail Media Manager, Revlon
RaeAnne Kascle is a Retail Media Manager at Revlon where she is responsible for translating business strategies into media campaigns that grow brand sales across key retailers, such as Amazon, Ulta, Target, Macy's, & Walmart. Prior to Revlon, she worked at Coty as a Marketing Coordinator & Assistant Brand Manager assisting in skincare, color cosmetics, and fragrance product launches for brands such as philosophy, Gucci Beauty, Burberry Fragrances, and CoverGirl. RaeAnne graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a B.S. in Journalism and minor in marketing in 2020.
CAREERSINBEAUTY
Hair & Cosmetics Industry- Chemistry, Business and Sales
SESSION 1 Monday, February 10, 2025
GIANNA (MINGINO) ZANNETTI ’09
Director of Launch and Insourcing, Manufacturing Supply Chain, L’Oreal USA
Gianna (Mingino) Zannetti is currently the Director of Launch and Insourcing at the Franklin Manufacturing plant for L’Oreal USA. Gianna attended Manhattan College where she obtained a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. Gianna was a campus tour guide and orientation leader, held leadership positions in AIChE and SWE clubs, performed in musicals with the college’s theater group, and held a summer and part-time internship in technical packaging with Victoria’s Secret Beauty. Gianna was recruited by L’Oreal USA in her senior year.
Gianna started her professional career at L’Oreal Franklin Manufacturing plant in the Management Development Program where she held positions of Production Planner, Project Engineer, and Launch Coordinator. Once graduated from the program, she became a launch manager – a project manager for the manufacturing site for new products for L’Oreal Paris and Garnier skincare brands. She then spent four years in Product Development for Maybelline. Her biggest career accomplishment to date is the Sky High Mascara which went viral on Tik Tok at launch. She has spent the last three years leading the launch team back at the manufacturing plant, overseeing
CAREERSINBEAUTY
Hair & Cosmetics Industry- Chemistry, Business and Sales
SESSION 1 Monday, February 10, 2025
project managers for new product launches of all brands including CeraVe and La Roche Posay. She added insourcing (changing the manufacturing location of a product) to her scope 18 months ago, which has taught her a lot about the financial aspects of manufacturing. She has also recently received her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Gianna lives in Hoboken, NJ with her husband Andrew. She maintains a close circle of 10 friends from her days at Hill.
CAREERS IN NURSING
Session Two: March 18 2025
Margaret A ’11, RN, MS
CPNP-PC
Advanced Prac in Pediatrics, C University Dep
Pediatric
Allergy/Immun
Molly (Wilt
Gioeli ’12, RN, BSN, MSN
Perioperative Nurse, New York Presbyterian Hospital
Katie (Dowd)
Guastavino ’10, RN, BSN
Alexa Loverdi ’14, RN, BSN, MSN
Registered Nurse, Staten Island University Hospital | Northwell Health
anieri)
Scala 11, RN, BSN
Registered Nurse, Staten Island University Hospital | Northwell Health
Clinical Liaison Nurse
Supervisor, Richmond University Medical Center Emergency Department
Andrea Sciortino ’13, RN, BSN
Registered Nurse, CCRM NY Fertility Center
CAREERSINNURSING
SESSION 2 Tuesday, March 18, 2025
She started as a staff nurse and is now currently the Clinical Liaison Nurse Supervisor on the night shift.
Katie’s role includes supervising staff overnight, helping plan staffing and management of bed flow in the ER. She assists staff in problem solving and helps communicate through any issues that may arise.
Overnight she helps in all critical situations, and then organizes quality and debriefings. Katie helps educate and identify nursing education needs. She works closely with hospital administration, department heads and physician staff in order to better coordinate all aspects of patient care. Katie loves emergency nursing, and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment. The resilient teamwork in the ER is hard to put into words however she feels passionate about her team and truly believes the ER staff is a family.
Katie found out she was pregnant with her first child in March 2020 during the start of Covid-19 pandemic. She continued to work her entire pregnancy during the hardest hit months in NYC up until his birth in October 2020.
Between 2017-2020 she helped coach the Hill Track and Field team, and she enjoyed watching the team flourish. Katie competed as a Division I athlete at SUNY Albany on the Track and Field team. She still enjoys fitness and most days you can find her going for a run.
Katie loves living in Staten Island with her husband Phil, and her two overwhelming beautiful children. Their names are Philip (4) and Claire (2).
CAREERSINNURSING
SESSION 2
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
ALEXA LOVERDI ’14 , RN , BSN, MSN
Registered Nurse, Staten Island University Hospital | Northwell Health
Alexa is a 29-year-old healthcare professional who earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Sacred Heart University. For nearly seven years, she has served as a Registered Nurse at Staten Island University Hospital, where she has fostered meaningful connections both personally and professionally.
In December 2024, Alexa completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner from Wagner College. Her lifelong passion for helping others made pursuing this advanced degree a natural progression in her healthcare journey.
Beyond her bedside nursing role, Alexa has worked as a clinical instructor at St. Paul's Nursing School, where she fulfilled her passion for mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.
When not dedicated to her professional endeavors, Alexa enjoys quality time with family and friends, traveling to new destinations, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance in today's fast-paced world.
CAREERSINNURSING
SESSION 2 Tuesday, March 18, 2025
DIANA (RANIERI) SCALA ’11 , RN , BSN
Registered Nurse, Staten Island University Hospital | Northwell Health
Diana (Ranieri) Scala pursued nursing prerequisites at Mount Saint Mary College in 2015 before earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Chamberlain University in 2018. Diana is now a registered nurse currently working as a frontline staff surgical nurse at Staten Island University Hospital. Her nursing career began in pediatrics at Children Medical Group (CMG) of Atlanta. Diana soon went on to become the Assistant Nurse Manager of CMG. She gravitated back to her Staten Island roots and began working at SIUH in 2021.
It has been her honor to be an integrative part of healing and caring for the Staten Island community.
Diana represents her nursing unit as Chair for SIUH’s Collaborative Care Council. She is certified in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Neonatal Resuscitation Program. Diana is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
In 2024, Diana received a Northwell Health Truly Award for being “truly inclusive” in preceptorship and as her unit’s charge nurse. Diana is working to pursue her degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner as well as obtaining certificates in medical-surgical nursing and functional medicine.
CAREERSINNURSING
SESSION 2 Tuesday, March 18, 2025
ANDREA SCIORTINO’ 13, RN , BSN
Registered Nurse, CCRM NY Fertility Center
Andrea obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Francis College in 2018. Her first position as a Registered Nurse was on a Medical-Surgical Telemetry unit at NYU Langone Brooklyn where she stayed for three years. About one year into her nursing career, she worked as a first responder during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She then moved to outpatient setting nursing jobs.
Currently Andrea works as a PACU/OR Nurse at CCRM NY Fertility Center, helping patients on fertility journeys to start families. She switches between roles of assisting in the OR and recovering patients post procedure.
Andrea also works in a per diem position as a School Nurse. She covers as the in-school nurse of the day, seeing students that walk in needing medical assistance as well as administering prescribed medications to students.
Andrea believes that attending Hill has shaped her into the person she is today. She has made lifelong friendships with an amazing group of Hill girls, who she still speaks to everyday after graduating over 11 years ago.
CAREERSINADVERTISINGAND MARKETING
SESSION 3 Tuesday, April 1, 2025
FRANCESCA BORGOGNONE SALCEDO ’06
Vice President, Celebrity & Entertainment Relations, Alison Brod Marketing + Communications
Francesca Borgognone Salcedo is a seasoned professional in the entertainment industry, with a storied career that began during her time at SJHA—getting her first masthead title at the early age of 17. Renowned for orchestrating high-profile red-carpet events, she has played a pivotal role in Globes, Emmys, and Oscar campaigning. She helped numerous films and talent secure well-deserved accolades (Leo! Ben! Matthew!)
After joining the brand world, Francesca has translated her keen eye for talent and an extensive network into building her own division that manages global celebrity endorsements, promoting inclusivity and representation within the industry.
She strives to create opportunities for diverse voices and emerging artists, believing in the power of storytelling to create cultural virality with just simple social listening and keeping her finger on the pulse of the new and next. Francesca 's passion for building meaningful connections, a commitment to excellence and a love for the art of entertainment is what keeps her dedicated to shaping the future of this ever-evolving industry.
Francesca earned a Bachelor of Science from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Advertising and Marketing Communications.
CAREERSINADVERTISINGAND MARKETING
SESSION 3 Tuesday, April 1, 2025
launch 4 new magazine titles, at publishers such as Time Inc, Rodale and Peterson.
Mary is driven by the impact of technology on the influence of OOH advertising. In the last 5 years at Vengo, Mary has steered Vengo from a DOOH network owner to a comprehensive programmatic technology solution. Vengo’s media network reaches consumers outside their home where they are highly engaged with screens in Grocery, CStores, Bars, Gyms, Offices, and more. Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Communications with a minor in Business from the State University of New York at Albany. She further advanced her education by earning a Master of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Marketing from Baruch College in NYC.
Mary is a resident of Monmouth Junction, NJ and a proud mom of a son in his third year as a student at the University of Pittsburgh. If she’s not on a spin bike, you will likely find her at the nearest concert venue.
CAREERSINEVENTPLANNING ANDHOSPITALITY
SESSION 4 Tuesday, May 6, 2025
advancing to Sales and Operations Manager positions within her first year. After a brief stint at the Palace Hotel (cut short by the COVID pandemic) and serving at W's Bar and Grill during the shutdown, she joined Tribeca Rooftop as an operations manager for three years. Recently, she accepted a senior event manager position at the Pier Sixty Collection.
In her free time, Samantha enjoys fitness, reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. She maintains her volunteer spirit as an active member of the Comfort Zone Camp community.
MARIA MCFEELEY ’18
Special Events & Catering Manager, Legends Hospitality
Maria McFeeley serves as Special Events & Catering Manager for Legends Hospitality at their newly acquired Times Square venue. In this role, she oversees staffing, inventory management, vendor relations, and the planning and execution of corporate events.
Maria began her career with Legends as an Events Coordinator at One World Observatory, supporting events on both the 64th and 102nd floors. Prior to joining Legends, she worked with an event agency planning events for clients including The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, and BNP Paribas. She continues to assist Pumpkinly Prints Paperie with bespoke private events on Staten Island.
Maria holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality & Tourism from Johnson & Wales University, graduating in 2021.
CAREERSINEVENTPLANNING ANDHOSPITALITY
SESSION 4
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
execution. She transitioned to the corporate sector in summer 2024, joining Houlihan Lokey's Events team. In her current role, she manages various corporate functions including conferences, client entertainment events, dinners, and receptions bringing meticulous attention to detail and hospitality expertise to every project.
CHRISTINE VIOLA ’98, MBA
Founder/Owner, Exquisite Affairs Productions
Christine Viola, Founder/Owner of Exquisite Affairs Productions, took an unconventional path to wedding planning from her corporate finance roots. Her exceptional coordination skills emerged when planning her own wedding, impressing fellow brides-to-be and vendors who encouraged her to pursue event planning professionally.
With a BBA in Computer Information Systems from CUNY Baruch and an MBA from Cornell, Christine brings unique financial acumen to her planning services. This background enables her to negotiate effectively with both cost and client preferences in mind while helping clients maintain their budgets.
Christine combines her business expertise with natural creativity, transforming client visions into realities with remarkable precision. She explores all options but consistently identifies optimal solutions for her clients' needs. Her services blend professional project management with artistic execution, making her a standout in the industry.
CAREERSINEVENTPLANNING ANDHOSPITALITY
SESSION 4 Tuesday, May 6, 2025
A member of both the Association of Bridal Consultants and the National Association for Female Executives, Christine continues to elevate the standard for wedding and event planning services.
