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'Regina S. Peruggi' (born c. 1947^[1]) is an American educator, who is the President of Kingsborough Community College, the first woman to hold that position in the college’s 40-year history.^[2] She is also known as the first wife of Rudy Giuliani, who would subsequently become Mayor of New York and a U.S. presidential candidate. ^[3]
Peruggi grew up in a middle class family in The Bronx^[4] in New York City.^[5] She attended Roman Catholic parochial schools. She gained a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the College of New Rochelle in 1967.
She married Rudy Giuliani, who is her second cousin once removed and whom she had known since childhood, on October 26, 1968 in a large Roman Catholic ceremony in Bedford Park, The Bronx.^[3] She started her career as a drug abuse counselor in a state jail.^[7] She worked as a teacher at the elementary school, college, and graduate school levels. In 1974 she joined York College of The City University of New York, then moved to Washington, D.C. with Giuliani and worked as a coordinator at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington.^[8] The couple returned to New York in 1977, but had become separated to some degree.^[9][10] Then around 1980 she went back to school,^[11] and then earned an Master of Business Administration from New York University. Giuliani filed for legal separation from Peruggi on August 12, 1982; a civil divorce was issued by the end of the year. A Roman Catholic Church annulment of the Giuliani-Peruggi marriage was granted at the end of 1983 on the grounds that they had not obtained a church dispensation for second cousins once removed to marry;^[12] Giuliani later said he had believed they were third cousins.^[13] The two had no children.
By 1984 Peruggi worked in the central office of the City University system, and again went back to school at night, now earning a Doctor of Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. By 1986 she had become an Associate Dean for the whole City University system, specializing in adult education programs. In 1990 she was named president of Marymount Manhattan College, a position she held for eleven years; during this time the college's enrollment doubled. She served as the second President of the Central Park Conservancy from 2001 to 2004, where she sought to continue its restoration via increased fund-raising and appeared on the PBS reality television show ''Back to the Floor''.^[14] Peruggi was then named president of Kingsborough Community College in May 2004.
Peruggi serves on the board of directors of the GreenPoint Foundation, the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, the American Red Cross of Greater New York, the Silver Shield Foundation, and the Center for Redirection Through Education. In 2006 she was honored as a 2006 New York State Senate Woman of Distinction.^[15]

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Notes

1. Karen Arenson, " CUNY Board Approves Three For Presidencies at Its Colleges", ''The New York Times'', May 25, 2004. Accessed March 16, 2007. Age at time of article was 57.
2. Joan Baum, "President Regina S. Peruggi, Kingsborough Community College", ''Education Update'', January 2005. Accessed March 16, 2007.
3. Wayne Barrett, '', Basic Books, 2000, ISBN 0-7567-6114-X, p. 71.
4. Lynda Richardson, "A Scholarly Fund-Raiser's Stroll to the Park", ''The New York Times'', May 4, 2001. Accessed March 16, 2007.
5. Press release, "DR. REGINA S. PERUGGI IS NAMED PRESIDENT OF KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK", Kingsborough Community College, May 25, 2004. Accessed March 16, 2007.
6. Wayne Barrett, '', Basic Books, 2000, ISBN 0-7567-6114-X, p. 71.
7. Barrett, p. 72
8. Barrett, p. 95.
9. ''Newsday'', October 22, 1989
10. Barrett, p. 96-97.
11. "Regina Peruggi, President, Central Park Conservancy", ''Education Update'', March 2004. Accessed March 16, 2007.
12. "Giuliani to Wed at Gracie Mansion", CBS News, April 25, 2003. Accessed March 16, 2007.
13. Barry Bearak, Ian Fisher, "RACE FOR CITY HALL: The Republican Candidate; A Mercurial Mayor's Confident Journey", ''The New York Times'', October 19, 1997. Accessed May 16, 2007.
14. ''Back to the Floor'', "Regina Peruggi, President", PBS. Accessed March 16, 2007.
15. "Golden Honors Regina Peruggi" Press release, July 6, 2006. Accessed April 19, 2007.

External links

★ Kingsborough Community College Office of the President - includes photo