Crediting the JCCIA with setting him on his life’s path, Ron Onesti is looking to return the favor as the organization’s incoming president. At awards ceremonies, it’s not uncommon for recipients to well up as they recall those who helped them earn their place at the podium. Installations of officers tend to be more stoic affairs, but there Ron Onesti was, fighting back tears as he accepted the presidency of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans at a Jan. 24 meeting at Club Arcada in St. Charles.

“At that moment, it came full circle to me just how much the JCCIA has affected my life’s journey,” Onesti explains. “My love for my heritage, my involvement in the community, and many of my personal and professional choices have come from my years with the JCCIA.”