Penn State Worthington Scranton, in partnership with the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National, continues its Italian Heritage Series with a presentation by Dominick Keating, president of Avanti Cigars.
Mr. Keating's presentation, titled "The First 25 Years" will give an overview of his company from its creation, through the years to the present day, as it became a successful local business that produces cigars that are extremely popular and well-known regionally, and sold throughout the country as well.
Avanti, located in Scranton, produces Parodi, DeNobili, Avanti, Petri, and several other regionally recognized brand names for the Toscano-style cigar market, as well as flavored cigars. All told, the company manufactures and distributes over 30 million, 100% U.S. tobacco cigars annually. In fact, Avanti still produces more all-tobacco cigars than any other U.S. company.
Mr. Keating's presentation will be Wednesday, October 10 at noon in the campus' Sherbine Lounge inside the Study Learning Center.
The PSWS UNICO Italian Heritage Series was made possible thanks to a permanent endowment established by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National. The endowment specifically funds a three-tiered program in Italian Studies, Heritage and Culture at Worthington Scranton that focuses on academics, co-curricular and out-of-classroom experiences, as well as community outreach.
The program is designed to complement the campus' existing cultural offerings in Spanish, French, German and Chinese, while expanding learning opportunities for students and community members interested in furthering their knowledge of Italian culture and heritage.
"This endowment from UNICO allows the campus to expand upon this existing interest by creating additional opportunities for cultural enrichment, particularly for those interested in further exploring Italian history, heritage and culture," said Dr. Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, PSWS chancellor. "UNICO's generosity will allow us to make Italian studies an integral part of our campus' curriculum in perpetuity."