YCP of New York Executive Panel Discussion

In the 11th century the Knights of Malta, known then as ‘Knights Hospitaller’, established a hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims of any religious faith or origin. The work of the hospitallers grew in fame and in 1113 Pope Paschal II officially recognised the monastic community as a lay religious order. The Pope identified the Hospitaller Gerard as the Order’s founder, together with an established group of monks – the ‘Professed’ – who are still at the heart of the Order of Malta today.

Throughout the centuries the number of members coming from all over Europe continued to grow and contributed to the strengthening of the Order during its presence in Rhodes (1310-1522) and in Malta (1530-1798).

While members of the Order of Malta in former times traditionally belonged to the aristocracy, the emphasis today is on a nobility of spirit and conduct. The 13,500 Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta remain true to its inspiring principles, summarised in the motto “Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum” – nurturing, witnessing and protecting the faith and serving the poor and the sick – which become reality through humanitarian projects and social assistance in 120 countries. Members must demonstrate dedication to these principles and are admitted country-by-country through Priories and national Associations.

 

FRA' NICOLA TEGONI

REGENT, SUBPRIORY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES OF THE ORDER OF MALTA

Fra' Nicola Tegoni is a Knight of Justice in Solemn Vows of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Fra' Nicola is the Regent in the United States of the Order of Malta's Subpriory of Our Lady of Lourdes. He has been a member of the Order of Malta since 2012. He is a regular participant in the Order of Malta's International Lourdes Pilgrimage and he has been volunteering for over a decade with the Order of Malta at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in Harlem.

Fra' Nicola is a member of the Board of Councillors of the Order of Malta's American Association and he is a member of the Board of Directors of Malteser International Americas, an affiliate of Malteser International, the humanitarian relief agency of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He has also been serving since 2015 as Counsellor at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to the United Nations.

He is a partner at the law firm of Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller LLP in New York City where he practices Immigration Law. He is a graduate of Brandeis University and Suffolk University Law School.

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FRANCESCA TEMPESTA

VP, MARKETING AT CENTERS HEALTH CARE

Francesca Tempesta is a distinguished Marketing & Corporate Communications Executive in the healthcare industry, currently serving as the Vice President and Marketing Director at Centers Health Care. Her previous roles include nearly nine years at ArchCare, where she held positions such as Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, and Senior Manager of Corporate Communications. Francesca's educational background includes a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Studio Art and Art History, Creative Writing from Dickinson College, and a Certificate in Digital Media Marketing from New York University. Her extensive experience and education have positioned her as a leading figure in healthcare marketing and communications.

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KENNETH CRAIG

HOSPITALLER AT THE ORDER OF MALTA AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

Ken joined the Order of Malta as an Auxiliary in 2001 and became a Knight in 2004. He has been an annual Lourdes pilgrim since 2003 and Pilgrimage Co-President since 2014. Ken was elected to the Board of Councillors in 2009 and chaired the Membership, Area Development, and Auxiliary committees until 2014; he was reelected to the BOC in 2017 and is currently serving as the Association Hospitaller, Master of Ceremonies, and Treasurer of the International Lourdes Committee. He also serves on the board of Malteser International – Americas and was a trustee of the New York Archdiocese’s regional Staten Island School Board.

As Hospitaller Ken has worked at the Association and International level to expand the works of the Order, with particular emphasis on establishing signature works, including Malta Camp USA and the Malta Mobile Ministry.

Ken holds a Bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Management & Organizational Behavior and International Business from New York University. He was most recently the Chief Administrative Officer & SVP of Shared Services at MCIC Vermont; prior to this he was a Managing Director in technology and operations at Deutsche Bank and held similar positions at Bank of America, Credit Suisse, and JPMorgan & Co. Ken and his wife, Suzanne, reside in Manhattan and are parishioners at Holy Trinity Parish where they are Extraordinary Ministers.

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James Harrison Greenwood, Advisor at The Permanent Observer Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations