This year’s Columbus Day parade chairperson is accomplished, committed to her heritage and tireless in her efforts to promote relations between America and Italy. The daughter of Giovanni and Maria, Mariann Gullo was born and raised in Elk Grove Village and graduated from St. Viator High School. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from DePaul University with a major in Marketing and Communications and a minor in Italian, and pursued an MBA at Loyola with a concentration in Finance.

At the young age of 22, she began working at Gullo International Development Corporation. A commercial and industrial real estate and management firm specialized in the O’Hare industrial market, the company was founded and has been lead by her father since 1968. Today, she is the COO of Gullo, overseeing all areas of the multifaceted organization.