♦ June 20, 2025 - New Board of Directors and new president for the John Paul II Foundation.
NEW BOARD AND NEW PRESIDENT FOR
JOHN PAUL II FOUNDATION
At the helm is Damiano Bettoni, former Acli secretary general and Acli patronage director general Vice-President Msgr. Rodolfo Cetoloni.
Guarantee and control bodies also renewed
All the names and resumes
The John Paul II Foundation has a new board of directors. It was appointed during the assembly that met last night at the Florence headquarters. Elected president is Damiano Bettoni, from Valdarno, a former secretary-general of the national Acli and director-general of the Patronato Acli, as well as a longtime social and associationist with a long career in institutions.
He will continue in the work done over the past five years by Andrea Bottinelli, who is leaving office by his own choice, but always remaining at the side of the institution.
Bishop Rodolfo Cetoloni, bishop emeritus of Grosseto, was confirmed as vice-chairman. He has been entrusted with the delegation of the strategic plan.
Two other board members have been confirmed from the outgoing CDA: Father Ibrahim Faltas, Franciscan, vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, who has also been confirmed as the Foundation's representative precisely in the Holy Land; Piero Giunti, current mayor of Reggello, will have the delegations for the development of the Foundation's relations with other entities.
Three new councilors; Susanna Benucci gets the delegations of administration and heritage; Giuseppe (Pino) Gulia, is delegated to reception and planning;
Marcello Ralli, has responsibility for secretariat and relations with Odc and Odv.
President Bettoni retains for himself the delegations for institutional relations, communication and fundraising, organization, personnel and human resources.
The new BoD for the next five years will lead the John Paul II Foundation, which for 18 years has been engaged in international cooperation projects from the Holy Land to Lebanon, from the Middle East to Jordan, as well as in Italy with refugee reception and disability projects. It currently operates in 17 countries, with more than 60 projects implemented and more than 20 thousand people helped directly each year.
The guarantee and control bodies were also renewed:
On the supervisory body is Marina Montaldi, a prominent name in the third sector as well as an Expert Member of the National Council of the Third Sector. Lorenzo Crocini has been named to the supervisory body; Pwc as auditing firm.
The new CDA met yesterday at the Florence headquarters of the John Paul II Foundation. Connected remotely was Father Faltas: the current situation in the Holy Land did not allow him either physically or because of his active involvement in the area to leave Jerusalem.
The first public engagement of the members of the BoD and the new president will be on June 28 at the Convent of Fiesole (FI) for the presentation of the 2024 Social Report and to engage with employees, collaborators, friends, supporters and stakeholders on the future of the Foundation.
We wish the new BoD well in their work, and President Bottinelli and his advisors our thanks for their excellent work over the past 5 years, which has enabled the Foundation to achieve great humanitarian results wherever its help has been required.
The brief resume of the new CDA follows.
RESUME BOARD OF DIRECTORS JOHN PAUL II FOUNDATION
DAMIANO BETTONI, president with authority over institutional relations, communication and fundraising, organization, personnel and human resources
Born in San Giovanni Valdarno in 1960, married and father of three children, he has dedicated his life to social commitment, volunteerism and associationism, with a long career in institutions. He was in charge of the secretariat of Sen. Domenico Rosati in Arezzo; in 1993 he began a 30-year journey as an employee of the Acli system, first in the Patronato where he became Provincial Director of Arezzo, then Regional Director of the Patronato Acli for Tuscany; from 2002 to 2010 he was Director General of the national Patronato Acli and from 2010 to 2012 he was responsible for the national Acli for projects in the Holy Land.
From 2016 to November 2023, he is secretary general of the national Acli.
He has held administrative positions as deputy mayor and alderman in San Giovanni Valdarno, councilor in corporations and investee companies. He is currently retired. Until 2022, he was chairman of the Board of the Scientific Committee of the John Paul II Foundation.
MONS. RODOLFO CETOLONI, vice president (confirmed) with responsibility for the strategic plan
Born in Badia a Roti (Municipality of Bucine, Arezzo) in 1946, he made his Solemn Profession in the Order of Friars Minor in 1971. On June 26, 1973, he was ordained a priest in Jerusalem. Licentiate in Sacred Scripture, he was among the promoters of the Franciscan March. In 1985, at age 39, he was elected minister provincial of the Friars Minor of Tuscany, a post he held until 1991. On March 25, 2000, St. John Paul II appointed him bishop of the diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza. He was ordained bishop on May 20, 2000, and took possession of the diocese on June 4. On May 28, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of the Diocese of Grosseto, which he will enter on Aug. 10. On Jan. 3, 2021, when he turns 75, he remits his mandate, in accordance with canon law, into the hands of the Pope: the renunciation is accepted on June 19. He remains Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Grosseto.
Since 2021 he has been a member of the Episcopal Commission for the Clergy and Consecrated Life of the Italian Bishops' Conference.
He is sa always an active member of the John Paul II Foundation
FATHER IBRAHIM FALTAS, advisor (confirmed), representative of the Foundation in the Holy Land
Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1964, a Franciscan friar, he lives in Jerusalem.
A graduate in philosophy and theology, he was ordained a priest in 1992. He is currently director of schools of the Custody of the Holy Land, counselor of the Custody, director of Casa Nova in Jerusalem and member of the John Paul II Foundation. He has served as deputy pastor in Bethlehem, pastor in Jerusalem and in charge of the Status Quo of the Basilica of the Nativity. He has been honored with numerous awards for his commitment to dialogue and solidarity.
He lived through and participated in the harsh events of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians during the armed siege of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002: in this context he distinguished himself as a mediator and through dialogue he succeeded, on that dramatic occasion, in finding a solution between the two conflicting parties.
He has written numerous speeches in various literary and journalistic works on the subject of the Middle East conflict and peace dialogue.
SUSANNA BENUCCI, councilor with responsibility for administration and assets.
Born in San Giovanni Valdarno in 1964, she has a long and varied professional experience between public and private sectors. After graduating, in the 1990s she worked at Fondiaria S.p.A. in Florence on the General Management staff, where she was in charge of budgeting, planning and management control. She taught accounting, mathematics and management information technology in private and state schools. She later won public competitions that led her to work in the municipalities of Scandicci, Pian di Scò, Arezzo and San Giovanni Valdarno. In the Municipality of Arezzo she holds positions of responsibility in the Accounting Office and in the Municipal Police Area. In San Giovanni Valdarno, she directs the Revenue and Participation Service, assumes the managerial position ex art. 110 TUEL and is currently a highly qualified official in the resources service. Lecturer in internal courses on accounting regulations and contracts, has been a member of various working groups (including Anci Toscana). Active in the world of volunteering and associationism.
PIERO GIUNTI, board member (confirmed) with responsibility for developing foundation relations with other entities.
Born in 1968, he has worked as a technical and IT expert for various companies, including Telecom Italia. He has been mayor of Reggello since 2021, after serving as mayor regent (2020-2021), deputy mayor (2017-2020), city councilor and group leader (2012-2017) and city councilor (1998-2004). He was also a provincial councilor in Florence (2004-2014). He has held political roles as secretary of the People's Party and Margherita-DL in Reggello. Today he is a member of the Pd. He has always been involved in social work, volunteering and associationism. He has been diocesan head of Catholic Action.
GIUSEPPE (Pino) GULIA, councilor with responsibility for reception and planning.
Born in 1956, he has devoted more than four decades to the promotion of human rights, with a focus on immigration, human trafficking and international cooperation. From 2007 to 2017, he directed the Immigration Service of the Patronato ACLI, after coordinating the opening of 104 immigrant desks throughout Italy (2002-2007). Previously, in Caritas Italiana (1988-2002), he led the World and Immigration Education Office, promoting projects in Africa, Iran and Palestine, and representing Caritas in international settings such as OSCE and Caritas Europe. Since 1983, he has worked in Caritas Diocesan of Rome for the reception and orientation of foreigners.
He has held governmental and international positions: member of ministerial commissions on trafficking and prostitution, the European Forum on Immigration and the De Mistura Commission on CPTs. Since 2004 he has been a consultant to the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to International Organizations and the OSCE in Vienna on the issue of trafficking on human beings. He has directed international training courses, collaborated with CENSIS, and lectured in Italian and US universities. He is the author and co-author of numerous publications on immigration and trafficking. Since 2021 he has been president of the Slaves No More association, after serving as its vice president since 2012. A leading figure in anti-discrimination and migrant advocacy, he has deep-rooted and nationally and internationally recognized experience.
MARCELLO RALLI, councilor with secretarial duties and relationship with Odc and Odv
Born in 1951, he has dedicated his professional life to public service and public administration,
with solid experience in leadership roles. With a degree in political science, he served in the Democratic
Christian from 1968 to 1992. He was first alderman (1978-1983) then mayor (1983-2001) of the Municipality of Castiglion Fibocchi.
He has served on the ANCI Tuscany board and on the Personnel and Urban Planning commissions of the national ANCI. He has worked as Municipal Secretary in various municipalities in the province of Arezzo including Poppi, Terranuova Bracciolini, San Giovanni Valdarno, ending as General Secretary of the Municipality of Arezzo. He is also currently President of the Next Generation EuroPA Foundation.
Florence, June 20, 2025
John Paul II Foundation Press Office:
Manuela Plastina - journalist
comunicazione@fondazionegiovannipaolo.org