Phil Finelli, Alfred Grasso
Alfred “Al” Grasso, president and CEO of The MITRE Corporation was honored last Saturday as the 2013 Man of the Year by the Lido Civic Club of Washington, D.C. A first generation Italian-American, Grasso was honored for his longstanding commitment to advancing educational opportunities for young people, particularly in the STEM fields. He recently completed a two-year term as president of the board of the National GEM Consortium, a nonprofit organization that promotes the participation of under-represented groups in post-graduate science and engineering education and the technical workforce. He is a member of the Stevens Institute Systems Engineering Research Center Advisory Board; the University of Virginia’s Department of Systems and Information Engineering Advisory Board; and Howard University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences Board of Visitors.
“The members of the Lido Civic Club are proud to honor Al Grasso as our Man of the Year for his commitment to public service and for his support of educational efforts through the National GEM Consortium,” said Philip F. Finelli, Jr., president of the Lido Civic Club. “The Lido Club has honored many Italian-Americans in its 82-year history, none of whom have been more humble than Al Grasso. He’s a great success in his profession and a positive influence in his community.”
With MITRE since 1986, Grasso leads the McLean, Va.-based not-for-profit organization’s strategic and business operations for its federally funded research and development centers. In addition, he serves as chairman of AFCEA International’s Board of Directors and as an appointed member of the Defense Science Board.
Grasso joins a distinguished group of Lido Club honorees, including Jack J. Valenti, longtime president of the Motion Picture Industry; Congresswoman Constance “Connie” Morella; Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito; General Peter Pace, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Dan Tangherlini, General Services Administrator (GSA) Administrator (Acting) and Jane Salzano, founder of Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children.
The Lido Civic Club is an Italian-American civic organization serving the Washington metropolitan area community. Founded in 1929, the Lido Club provides financial assistance to students and supports the homeless, the elderly, orphans and victims of floods and earthquakes. The Lido Club works closely with the Aleethia Foundation to assist wounded warriors in their support for recently injured troops in their rehabilitation upon returning home.
