The ANNOTICO Report
Mr. Commisso was born in Calabria, Italy, immigrated
to the U.S. at age
12. He graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor
of science in
industrial engineering and a master's degree in business
administration.
While at Columbia, he was co-captain of the varsity soccer
team, earning
All-Ivy League honors, and was elected president of the
business school
student body. In 2004, on the 250th anniversary of Columbia's
founding, the
school's daily newspaper listed Mr. Commisso as one of
the 250 greatest
alumni.
WASHINGTON --(Business Wire)-- June 15, 2005 -- Rocco
B. Commisso, chairman
and CEO of Mediacom Communications Corporation, has been
elected to the
Board of Directors of the National Italian American Foundation
(NIAF). The
election was held June 10 during the Foundation's board
meeting at its
headquarters in Washington, DC.
"Rocco Commisso's vast experience and extensive knowledge
of the media and
communications industry is a welcome addition to NIAF's
leadership. His
presence strengthens our board of directors," NIAF Chairman
Dr. A. Kenneth
Ciongoli said.
Mr. Commisso founded Mediacom Communications in 1995 and
engineered its
dramatic growth into the nation's eighth largest cable
television company,
with operations in 24 states. Mediacom is the leading
cable operator
focused on providing advanced broadband and digital services
to smaller
cities and towns. After beginning his business career
at Pfizer Inc., Mr.
Commisso spent a decade in the financial community, initially
at The Chase
Manhattan Bank and then at Royal Bank of Canada, where
he led the bank's
U.S. lending activities to companies in the media and
communications
sectors. From 1986 to 1995, he served as executive vice
president, chief
financial officer and director of Cablevision Industries
Corporation.
Mr. Commisso is on the board of directors of the National
Cable &
Telecommunications Association, Cable Television Laboratories,
Inc. and
C-SPAN, and is an honorary chair of Cable Positive, the
cable and
telecommunications industry's AIDS action organization.
He is the recipient
of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award
for the Southwest
Connecticut/New York Hudson Valley, has been named the
Innovator of the
Year by Cablevision Magazine, and has been recognized
by several other
organizations and trade publications for his leadership
and contributions
to the cable industry.
Born in Calabria, Italy, Mr. Commisso immigrated to the
U.S. at age 12. He
graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor of
science in industrial
engineering and a master's degree in business administration.
While at
Columbia, he was co-captain of the varsity soccer team,
earning All-Ivy
League honors, and was elected president of the business
school student
body. In 2004, on the 250th anniversary of Columbia's
founding, the
school's daily newspaper listed Mr. Commisso as one of
the 250 greatest
alumni.
Mr. Commisso is a member of the NIAF business council
of 2000. Others
elected to the NIAF board of directors are: John DePasquale,
founder and
chairman of TransAct Inc., and Ed Rensi, president of
Team Rensi
Motorsports and former president and CEO of McDonald's
USA.
The NIAF is a non-profit, non-partisan foundation dedicated
to promoting
the contributions of Italian Americans. NIAF serves as
a voice for the
Italian American community and a clearing house of information
on every
aspect of that community. The Foundation has a wide-range
of programs that
provide scholarships and grants, conferences and cultural
seminars. Visit
www.niaf.org.