The Milford Columbus Committee on Aug. 16 announced the 2022 award recipients for Italian-American of the Year, as well as the 2022 scholarship recipients. The announcement comes in advance of the committee’s 2022 Dinner Dance on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Vazzano’s Four Seasons in Stratford. Ticket sales for the Dinner Dance raise funds for the yearly scholarship awards.

The committee named Dr. David Esposito, chairman of the Department of Surgery and chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Milford Hospital, as its Italian American of the Year. Gary Johnson, president and CEO of Milford United Way, received the 2022 Special Recognition Award. Paige Miglio, director of the Milford Arts Council and a Milford-Orange Times columnist, received the 2022 Special Achievement Award.