The Board of Directors
Mario Ferri | Founder and Honourary Chair
Mario Ferri established the La Rocca Memorial Society in 2002. As the Founder and Honourary Chair, Mario remains committed to empowering youth and recognizing their extraordinary acts. Mario is currently serving as a Regional Councillor and Deputy Mayor for the City of Vaughan. He is a strong proponent of volunteerism and community involvement.
Annamaria Perruccio | Past President and Chair of the Board
Annamaria is the founder of Perruccio Law Professional Corporation. Her practice centers on family law and general litigation matters. With a commitment to delivering exceptional client service, Annamaria provides clients with creative and cost-effective solutions to meet their individual needs.
In addition to her courtroom experience at the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal, Annamaria has significant experience representing clients in mediation and related negotiation settings. Her clients appreciate her tailored approach and strong advocacy skills.
Annamaria is fluent in Italian and French and has received numerous awards and accolades for her language skills including the Lions Club International French Public Speaking Award and the American Association of Teachers of Italian Award.
Annamaria maintains her commitment to volunteerism as a mentor to youth and supporter of various organizations such as Camp Oochigeas, the Parkinson Society of Canada and the ALS Society of Canada.
Nick G. Pasquino | Past President and Chair of the Board
Nick Pasquino is a corporate lawyer and partner in Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a national business law firm where he serves as Regional Manager of the Corporate Commercial Group.
He is the former chair of the board of directors of the La Rocca Memorial Society and has been involved with the organization for more than two decades.
Nick has a longstanding history of community engagement in Vaughan, having served as a Student Trustee with the York Catholic District School Board, a member of the Vaughan Youth Advisory Committee, a founding member of the Vaughan Youth Cabinet, and as chief architect and advocate behind the creation of the Office of the Vaughan Youth City Councillor. More recently, in addition to supporting youth through the La Rocca Memorial Society, Nick has been involved in raising funds for Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. Nick is married with three children and lives in Woodbridge.
Peter A. Aluzzo | Chair of the La Rocca Bursary Selection Committee
Peter Aluzzo received the La Rocca Bursary in 2004 for his activism within his school community as well as his volunteer work with Vaughan Public Libraries.
Peter went on to study History and Italian at York University and pursued a Bachelor of Education. His goal was to become a teacher because through his experiences working with youth, he knew he would enjoy a career where he could use his leadership skills to motivate young people to make a positive difference.
Throughout university, Peter volunteered with YMCA Community Services, where he was able to help at risk youth find employment. Soon after graduating, he began working for the York Catholic District School Board as a high school teacher. Peter is presently working at Sacred Heart CHS in Newmarket where he devotes countless hours outside of the classroom to enrich the experience of students. Whether coaching a school team, mentoring student leaders, organizing school trips and school charity events, or teaching a lesson in the classroom, most importantly Peter tries to model for his students what it means to act selflessly. Within his school community, he currently supports the school's fundraising efforts for Relay for Life supporting the Canadian Cancer Society. In 2016 he also began fundraising yearly for Multiple Myeloma research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
As Chair of the La Rocca Bursary Committee Peter liaises with all Secondary Schools in Vaughan to promote the bursary program. Most importantly, he helps to select deserving bursary recipients who have demonstrated altruism through their service to others within the community and beyond.
Carmen Kallideen | Director
Carmen Kallideen received the La Rocca Bursary in 2010 for her work supporting the Youth Philanthropy Initiative and Swim Ontario. She went on to study Business Administration at York University where she graduated within the top 10% of her class on the Dean's honour list. Carmen has worked in the non-profit and public sectors dealing with provincial regulatory oversight and reviewing the administrative conduct of public sector bodies in Ontario to improve accountability and transparency.
Carmen has lead many initiatives for the La Rocca Memorial Society including sponsorship, board and volunteer recruitment, and special events. She is passionate about the work that LMS is doing to encourage, inspire, and recognise the volunteer contributions of Vaughan youth. Carmen is committed to growing the Bursary Program and continuing to establish the organisation's role and impact in the community through strategic partnerships.
Ann Maria Kurian | Director
Ann Maria Kurian is a new ambassador for La Rocca Memorial Society. She received the La Rocca Bursary in 2013 in recognition of her volunteer efforts in the community. She loves to spend her time volunteering at the hospital, homeless shelters and the local parish. Currently, she is completing her fourth undergraduate year of Medical Sciences at Western University. Her future plan is to pursue medical school and become a physician so that she can continue to serve her community.
Alysia Burdi | Director
Alysia Burdi joined the La Rocca Memorial Society’s board of directors after receiving the La Rocca Bursary in 2018. Her role with the organization includes supporting social media engagement, brand awareness, and content creation.
Alysia served as the Public Relations Director, and subsequently the acting President of the Kleinburg Leo Club – a youth organization branching from Lions Clubs International.
Alysia completed a Bachelor of Journalism and an English minor at Ryerson University. She is a graduate of the Public Relations post-graduate certificate program at Humber College and completed a multimedia journalism program in Urbino, Italy with Iowa State University. Alysia is currently working at the City of Vaughan. Through her work and volunteer efforts, she enjoys helping others and making a difference in the community.
Anita Rose Kurian | Secretary
Anita received the La Rocca Bursary in 2015 for her outstanding commitment to volunteering for a vast portfolio of organizations and causes. Some places that she has volunteered for include, Mackenzie Health Hospital, Epilepsy Toronto, St. David’s Parish, Good Shepherd Homeless Shelter and St. Francis Table. With a background in biological sciences she is currently pursuing a Business degree with the hopes of owning a start-up in the near future.
Anita has made her mark at the La Rocca Memorial Society by leading outreach initiatives geared towards high-school students in Vaughan. These efforts have resulted in increased awareness of the bursary program to a broadened audience of youth.
Raquel Kallideen | Treasurer
Raquel Kallideen received the La Rocca Bursary in 2016 for her work mentoring young musicians with the Area West Elementary Enrichment Band in Vaughan. She graduated from the University of Waterloo’s Environmental Science Co-operative Program and currently works as an environmental consultant at Pinchin Ltd. Raquel has stayed connected to the alumni network since receiving the bursary and has been involved in the annual recipient’s dinner, park cleanup initiatives, and picnic events at La Rocca Square. She continues to demonstrate her commitment to volunteerism through her involvement as the treasurer of the La Rocca Memorial Society since 2022.
Alessia DeBattista | Vice-Chair of the La Rocca Bursary Selection Committee
Alessia DeBattista received the La Rocca Bursary in 2018 for her work within her school, as the President of the Sick Kids Club, and in her community, at her local church and as a volunteer teacher. She is currently in her final year of her undergraduate degree completing a specialist in Accounting with a double minor in Economics and Italian at Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto, and will be pursuing her CPA designation in the future. Alessia has continued her volunteering throughout university in different roles, including on student council, and holding positions in her school's orientation committee and being a past volunteer tax preparer.