:: FEB 2009 $2.95 Greek-Americans welcome the new President SAE leader appeals to Obama Study in Cyprus ...for free! Exaras goes symphonic 6 16 25 Leadership 100 Membership at Record Level for 25th Anniversary Conference 18 10 28 36 37 Archbishop Banking on the New Play by the Demetrios honors Strength of a “Ichneftes” Eleni Tsakopoulos Tattered Flag Theater Company Leadership 100 -Kounalakis and Chairman Stephen Alexi Giannoulias G. Yeonas on his 8 32 38 goals for the organization and on a life well spent 25 22 Exaras joins Maestro AHI welcomes the Kitsopoulos and the Greek American Queens Symphony Study in 24 Delegation in Orchestra for a Congress special concert Cyprus …for free! 13 35 38 Greek Aris Melissaratos Honors SAE leader appeals Named 2009 Society to Obama on Greek Industrialist Formed at Haute Hellenic Convention American issues of the Year St. John’s Cuisine; So Greek, Chairman George University So Chic D. Behrakis On Leadership r. Yeonas, the chairman of the Leadership 100 :: magazine featured in this issue, by all standards a Msuccessful man, says his fellow members, all successful, have a major responsibility to show leadership Editor in Chief: that includes “philanthropy in support of our Church, our Dimitri C. Michalakis clergy, our community and our heritage.” The ancient [email protected] Greeks themselves considered any man who didn’t :: perform these acts of public service as not quite a man. So Features Editor Katerina Georgiou the eminent men and women of Leadership 100 are [email protected] carrying on a proud tradition by giving back and it’s to their credit and honor. :: Lifestyle Editor Maria Athanasopoulos I remember being involved with my own Chian Federation here in New York more than thirty [email protected] years ago and meeting with George P. Livanos, who at the time was one of the leading ship :: owners in the world, with interests around the world, and who had no business spending his Western Region Desk Irma Seferi-Goodenough nights sitting in our-then makeshift offices with the folding table upstairs that served as our (323) 651-3507 conference table and the folding chairs that served as stadium seating. Over paper cups of [email protected] coffee with the omnipresent Parthenon logo we all sat a little stunned and listened to the great :: Baltimore Desk man talk about the efforts we could all make and he would support to establish our Georgia Vavas organization and help the Greek cause and how each of us could contribute. His Greek was [email protected] halting, his oratory wasn’t very inspiring, but the great man was sitting right there in our :: Photo/Fashion converted storefront in Astoria and talking to us (the air conditioning and refrigeration ETA Press repairmen, the short order cooks, the donut men and painters and countermen (and students, :: like me), when he could have been anywhere in the world taking care of business, and we felt Graphic Design NEOgraphics Inc. flattered and energized. He even offered my father and me a ride home to Brooklyn after our Adrian Salescu meeting, but we were too proud (and we had heard rumors about his suspended license and :: numerous speeding tickets, the one flaw in the great man). He did extend an invitation to us to Publishing Committee Chairman: Demetrios Rhompotis meet him at his offices at the World Trade Center, which we accepted, and where we sat [email protected] around a table which might have been the biggest slab of marble in the world and where the :: building shook in the wind as we talked. “You have been wonderful,” he said to me directly, Marketing and Advertising Director Kyprianos Bazenikas because I had written him a letter detailing how in my seasoned judgment (I was barely in [email protected] college) we could recruit the young people to get more involved with the organization and its :: causes. “Keep it up, tell me more,” he said eagerly, and I couldn’t believe my ears that the Athens Liaison Konstantinos Rhompotis great man was actually listening to me. He even offered berths on his ships to any youths who (01130) 210 51 42 446 wanted to spend the summer experiencing the seafaring life that was their ancestry. (01130) 6937 02 39 94 [email protected] : Mr. Livanos was an inspiration and he put his money where his mouth was. We worked very Check our website hard in the Chian Federation in those years and I never felt more proud to be a Chian or a www.neomagazine.com :: Greek. It was part of my heritage and of the values that my parents and grandparents had NEO Magazine taught me. But it was also from the simple motivating act of a man who wanted to give back is published monthly by and who provided the example of his own commitment, which is the true mark of leadership. Neocorp Media Inc. P.O. Box 560105 College Point, NY 11356 Phone: (718) 554-0308 e-Fax: (718) 878-4448 Dimitri C. Michalakis [email protected] AHI welcomes the Greek American Delegation in Congress . ECONOMIDES . ECONOMIDES O: C.F O: C.F PHOT PHOT From left to right: Nick Larigakis, Rep. John From left to right: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), Sarbanes (D-MD), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Gene Rossides, Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Rep. Zack Space (D-OH), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), U.S. Regional Coordinator for the Council of Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Gene Rossides, Hellens Abroad (SAE) Ted Spyropoulos. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA), and Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL). The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) hosted heartfelt story regarding her Jewish family in According to John Sarbanes, “with respect to recently a dinner in honor of the Greek Thessaloniki during WWII. “I am technically the issues that are of particular concern to American delegation of the 111th Congress, not Greek. My family comes from the Jewish our community you have to have a certain Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), community in Thessaloniki …By the time the peripheral vision as you embark on these Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), John Sarbanes (D- Nazis finished with us, there were 1,000 important issues. We understand what an MD), Zack Space (D-OH), Dina Titus (D-NV), Jews left. If it had not been for our Greek important ally Greece is for the United and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) at the Capital neighbors, there would have been no Jews States and how that relationship has to be Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Senator left. And I am very mindful of the sacrifice cherished and cultivated and what a Olympia Snowe (R-MA) was unable to that our Greek neighbors made in order to strategic ally a unified Cyprus can be for the attend the event do to a prior engagement. keep some of their neighbors alive.” United States.” Opening the evening’s program, AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis said: “As For Zack Space “it is fitting that the Greek Over 100 persons attended the dinner, Greek Americans, we always take great joy American community would be so including: Ambassador of Greece to the and pride when someone in our community responsible for my victory and my ability to United States Alexandros Mallias and Mrs. achieves a high pinnacle of success in their hang on to my seat …We all learned growing Mallias, Ambassador of Cyprus to the United chosen field of endeavor. Tonight, the joy up in Greek families the value of hard work, States Andreas Kakouris and Mrs. Kakouris, and pride is seven-fold as we welcome to oikogenia (family), and personal U.S. Regional Coordinator for the Council of Washington the two new members who are responsibility …I look forward to working Hellens Abroad (SAE) Ted Spyropoulos and joining the other five.” with you all in the future on these issues Mrs. Spyropoulos, Deputy Chief of Mission that are of such importance to all of us.” of the Greek Embassy Karolos Gadis, AHEPA “It is from my heart and I have a duty and Executive Director Basil Mossaidis, President obligation…to discuss and explain to senior Dina Titus, also a newcomer, said to have of the Hellenic American Women’s Council members how important the FYROM issue is entered “this Congress with a strong Greek Maria Stamoulas, Next Generation Executive to us, how important the Patriarchate issue heart and I am looking forward to working Director Leon Stavrou, Thalia Assuras from is and Cyprus, and how these things have with John, Zack, and Gus as my mentors as CBS News, former Deputy Chief of Mission in not been resolved for so many years,” stated we face some of the issues that I know you Athens, Tom Countryman, Executive Director Congressman Gus Bilirakis. “I appreciate the have been working on for so long.” of the National Hellenic Society Tim opportunity to visit with you and to be part Maniatis, AHI Advisory Committee member of this great community of Greek leaders “One of the things that prompted me to run Kostas Alexakis, James Marketos, Peter and look forward to working with you on the for Congress was the fact that it had been 25 Pappas and numerous Congressional issues that are important to you in years since a woman had been elected to staffers. Congress,” said in turn Suzanne Kosmas, Congress from Massachusetts,” Niki Tsongas newly elected this past November. stated. “As I look around this table, I think we Greek Americans have done very well in Congresswoman Shelley Berkley told a sending women to Congress.” OFECBTROUBAERRY 2200098 Event 8 This took place at a reception in honor of His Eminence and NEO’s Demetrios Rhompotis spoke with former California SS celebrating Greek-Americans in public service, hosted by the Cyprus Treasurer Phil Angelides, former Deputy Secretary of State John Federation of America, PSEKA and the Coordinated Effort of Hellenes.