Board of Directors

Elaine Poggi - Florence, Italy - President
Elaine was born in 1952 in Southern Illinois. After graduating from Beloit College in Wisconsin with a Fine Arts Degree, she received a two-year Rotary Foundation Scholarship to study in Florence, Italy at Rosary College Graduate School where she received a Master's Degree in Piano Performance. After concertizing for several years both in Italy and the USA, she married a Florentine businessman and now is the mother of two grown children.

Michele K. Spike, Esq. - Florence, Italy - Secretary
Michele attended Connecticut College in New London, Ct. receiving in 1973 a B.A. summa cum laude with honors in Government Studies, and then attended Boston University School of Law, receiving in 1976 a J.D. cum Laude. She has been a member of the Bar of the State of New York since 1977, having practiced corporate and aviation law in New York City from 1976 until 1989. In 1989, she moved to Florence, Italy to raise her son and has been active in a wide range of charitable work: in 1990 she joined the Vestry of St. James American Episcopal Church and began its Wednesday night student ministry program, in 1995 she joined the Commission on the Ministry of the Baptized of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe serving as its Chair until she retired this October, since 1994 she has been a Director of The Genesis Center, Inc. a not-for profit foundation organized to promote dialogue among religions and cultures. In 2004 she was appointed to a six-year term by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church to the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice. She collaborated with John T. Spike on the authorship of numerous books on Italian Old Master painters. Her book, Tuscan Countess: The Life and Extraordinary Times of Matilda of Canossa was published in October 2004.

Bettina C. Ahearn, RN, BSN - Florissant, MO - Asst. Secretary

Tina recently joined the Barnes Jewish College of Nursing in July, 2007 as Facilitator for their Clinical Simulation Center of patient simulation and physical assessment laboratories. Prior to this position, she was the Magnet Program coordinator for Barnes Jewish Hospital. Tina began her career in 1973 as a staff nurse at the former Jewish Hospital of St. Louis. Positions that followed included: Utilization Review coordinator, Admissions Nurse coordinator, Manager of Admitting & Patient Registration, and Case Coordination. Tina was manager of BJC’s International Healthcare services from 1997-2006. Tina is a member & officer of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society/Tau Iota Chapter at the Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing. She serves as the chapter’s membership chairperson and newsletter co-editor. Tina was Alumni President of the Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing 2005-2006. Tina is certified as a BLS instructor and assists, when needed at the AHA (American Heart Association ) training center. She has spoken both nationally and internationally on case management services, nursing structures in America, and global healthcare initiatives. She and her husband of 32 years have 2 grown children. They enjoy golf, traveling, and gardening.

Dawn Runge, Ph.D. - Oakville, MO - Treasurer

Dawn holds a B.S. in Legal Studies, M.B.A. with an emphasis in Healthcare Finance, and a Ph.D. in Business and Educational Leadership. She has over eighteen years of healthcare experience, as well as twelve years of serving as adjunct faculty at various colleges. Currently, she is the Corporate Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness at SSM Health Care, which was the first healthcare system to win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Her personal interests include collecting antiques, playing the piano, and reading.

Francesco Di Costanzo, MD - Florence, Italy

Francesco was born in Terni, Italy, in 1951.  In 1976 he received the Laurea in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Studies at Perugia. He has been a member of the Order of Physicians and Odontology of Terni since 1978.
He has attained the following specializations: Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Perugia with highest honors in 1979, Oncology at the University of Pavia with highest honors in 1982, Clinical Hematology and Research at the University of Pavia with highest honors in 1988. In 1986 he attained the national idoneita’ for Head Oncology Physician. Francesco has practiced General Medicine at the Civil Hospital of S. Maria di Terni, and Medical Oncology at the Azienda Hospital of S. Maria di Terni. From Feb. 2002 to present he has been Director of the U.O. Medical Oncology Department of the Careggi Hospital of Florence.
At present he is a Professor at the University of Studies of Perugia in Medicine and Surgery and has held this position since 1987. Francesco is a member of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) since 1976, member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and member of the American Society of Medical Oncology (ASCO). From 1993 to 1995 he was National Advisor to the AIOM, and from 1999 to just recently he was National Secretary to the AIOM. He is President of the Italian Oncology Group of Clinical Research (GOIRC) since May 2000. He is author of over 150 publications and has been a speaker at numerous national and international conferences.

Jerome F. Levy, MD - St. Louis, MO
Jerry was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1934. He received his BA degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1954. He then received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1958, graduating cum laude. He now has received his MLA at Washington University, in 2010, majoring in art history. His training as a surgeon took place at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis from 1958 to 1963. From 1963 to 2002 he was a practicing physician and surgeon and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. Jerry is now Emeritus Professor of Surgery at the university. He has been a collector of art since the 1960's and is also a photographer. He is married and has 6 children and 9 grandchildren so far. His favorite pastime is traveling in Italy, learning the language and studying art history.

Dianne Stitzlein - Chesterfield, MO
Dianne has been involved with the interior architecture and design for health care and senior living projects for the past 15 years. She often works with her clients from the conceptual phase of planning the interiors through to the completion of each project. Helping to create and implement a “healing environment” through this design and planning process is a core principal of her designs.  She is owner and president of DesignStudioOne, a newly formed company that specializes in the selection of finishes, furnishings, artwork & photography for interior environments. In addition, DesignStudioOne also provides custom design of additional elements and features that offer donor funded recognition opportunities to these facilities and their foundations.  Dianne has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Design from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and has professional affiliations with ASID - American Society of Interior Designers, IIDA - International Interior Design Association and Habitat for Humanity International.

International Advisory Board

Bryan T. Ho, MD - Englewood, NJ

Bryan is an Otolaryngologist-Head and Neck surgeon currently in practice in Englewood, New Jersey. He graduated cum laude from Brown Univerisity in 1985 and then attended medical school at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He graduated in 1989 and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society during this time. Both his general surgery and otolaryngology-head and neck surgical residencies were completed at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. After spending two years in Boston at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, he moved to Englewood where he has been in private practice since 1997. In addition to his practice responsibilities, Bryan also holds a position as a clinical instructor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center and is the coordinator for the otolaryngology residency rotation at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

Raymond P. Smith, MD - Brentwood, MO
Ray attended Vassar College where he majored in Biochemistry with minor concentration in Philosophy/Religion. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1984 and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine there as well. His honors while at the University of Virginia included election into the Medical Honor Society (AMA), receiving the Excellence in Medicine Award, and selection as Medicine Chief Resident. Ray moved to St. Louis in 1988 as a fellow in Washington University’s Hematology Oncology program. During his 5-year fellowship he participated in patient care, clinical trials, and basic science research and received the American Society of Hematology’s Scholar Award. From 1993 to 2005 Ray worked with Dr. Shabbir Safdar in private practice at University Hematology Oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. In 2005 Ray was appointed Director of Medical Oncology at Blessings Hospital Cancer Center in Quincy, Illinois.

John T. Spike - Florence, Italy

John, an internationally respected critic and historian of art, received his doctorate from Harvard. He has recently published major books on artists of the Florentine Renaissance, including Masaccio and Fra Angelico, and the catalogue raisonné of Caravaggio. Currently he is writing a biography of Michelangelo Buonarotti and a monthly column, A Closer Look, for Art & Antiques magazine.

Judith Weiss Levy - St. Louis, MO

Judy graduated in 1974 with a BA in Art History from Boston University and received an MA in Art History from Williams College, Williamstown, MA. in 1977. From 1979-1990 she was Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Saint Louis Art Museum. She is currently a Trustee at the Saint Louis Art Museum and a member of the Clayton Art Commission, Clayton, MO.