Linda Dianto, executive director of the National Lighthouse Museum, knows no bounds. Originally born in Brooklyn, Dianto and her family moved to Staten Island in 1963 when she was 13 years old. Though not a Staten Island native, Dianto’s Staten Island roots run deep. As a child, Dianto frequently visited her grandparents in South Beach, and her father and uncle worked on the construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Upon moving to Staten Island, Dianto attended New Dorp High School and later went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Master of Education from the former Staten Island Community College and Richmond College. These institutions later merged to form the College of Staten Island (CSI).