Who We Are
The Little Italy Association of San Diego
The Little Italy Association of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation that was established in 1996 to oversee and expedite the revitalization and beautification of the Little Italy neighborhood in Downtown San Diego. The Association represents the property owners, residents, and businesses of Little Italy.
The Association is the only Little Italy district management corporation of its kind in any neighborhood in the United States. The Association pledges to advocate on behalf of its members’ best interests in the areas of public safety, beautification, promotion, and economic development while preserving the unique cultural resources that exist in our neighborhood.
The Association currently has 26 Board Members that are comprised of property owners, residents, business owners and community-at-large representatives. The Board of Directors meets on the first Tuesday of every month at Our Lady of the Rosary Church Hall; unless otherwise posted. For more detailed information on dates and location, visit the Events Calendar page and if you would like to be added to the Reminder eBlast, please email Chris Gomez at chris@littleitalysd.com. As a reminder, all Board and Committee meetings are open to the general public.
Officers of the Board
Steve Galasso, President
Luke Vinci, Vice President
Lou Palestini, Vice President of Heritage Affairs
Bryan Thompson, Treasurer
Annette Casemero, Secretary
Management Team of the Association
In January 2025, Christopher M. Gomez, of New City America, Inc., took over the leadership role of the Association. New City America, Inc. is a private consulting company with expertise in development and management of Business Improvement Districts, Community Benefit Districts, public space development and neighborhood revitalization. Marco Li Mandri established the Little Italy Association in 1995 with a group of local business owners and leaders to revitalize San Diego's Little Italy and served as the Chief Executive Administrator for 30 years. With the transition in leadership, Marco now serves as the Executive Advisor to the Board and the new Chief Executive Administrator.
Christopher Gomez, Chief Executive Administrator
Dominic Li Mandri, Operations Manager
Rosie DeLuca, Financial Manager
Jeri Keiller, Financial Advisor
Nick Angluo, Events Manager
Dianne T. Serna, Office Administrator
Marco Li Mandri, Executive Advisor
Laura Li Mandri, Grant & Policy Advisor
Shirley Zawadzki, Executive Administrator
Monica Montes, Administrative Support Manager
Michelle Mercado, Asst. Administrative Support Manager
Organizational Chart
*Amended January 2025