Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, United States Navy (Ret.), will be the Honorary Chairman of the Sons of Italy’s Foundation 31st National Education & Leadership Awards Gala.   Admiral Giambastiani is a retired United States Navy admiral who served for 37 years and was the seventh Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2005 to 2007.

Born in Canastota, New York, Admiral Giambastiani attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1970 with leadership distinction. He was then assigned to the nuclear submarine force aboard the USS Puffer (SSN-652) and was the 1973 winner of the Fleet Commander’s Junior Officer Submarine Shiphandling Competition. He then commanded NR-1 Deep Submergence Craft—the Navy’s only nuclear-powered deep-diving ocean engineering and research submarine—and the USS Richard B. Russell (SSN-687).