Η Ελένη Τσακοπούλου-Κουναλάκη και ο Αλέξης Γιαννούλιας ήταν οι δύο Έλληνες που βραβεύτηκαν φέτος απ' τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Δημήτριο της Αμερικής σε μια υποδοχή στην Ουάσινγτον με την ευκαιρία της ορκωμοσίας του Προέδρου των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών Βarack Obama. Οι δύο Έλληνες που ξεχώρισαν με τη συνεισφορά τους στον Ελληνισμό της Αμερικής τιμήθηκαν κατά τη διάρκεια δεξίωσης προς τιμήν του Αρχιεπισκόπου Δημητρίου, η οποία οργανώθηκε απ' την Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Αμερικής, Φίλοι της Κύπρου και τη Συντονισμένη Προσπάθεια των Ελλήνων. Στη δεξίωση παρευρέθησαν πολλές εξέχουσες προσωπικότητες του Ελληνισμού καθώς και πολιτικοί.
Τhe National Coordinated Effort of Helenes (CEH)
1100 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C., 20037
(202) 393-7790 fax: (202) 628-0225
E-mail: coordinatedeffort@manatos.com
Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis and Alexi Gannoulias are honored by Archbishop Demetrios at Presidential Inaugural Celebration. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America recognized the extraordinary public service of two of the Greek-American community’s brightest young stars at a reception in Washington , D.C. on the occasion of the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States , Barack Obama. Orthodox and Hellenic philanthropist and President of AKT Development Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis and Illinois State Treasurer, who when elected was the youngest state-wide officeholder in the country, Alexi Giannoulias were honored by His Eminence on the eve of the swearing-in of President Obama. This took place at a reception in honor of His Eminence and celebrating Greek-Americans in public service, hosted by the Cyprus Federation of America, PSEKA and the Coordinated Effort of Hellenes. Archbishop Demetrios was invited to sit on the Presidential platform during the Inauguration of President Obama. As well, the next day he was with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden when he was one of very few religious leaders to participate in the National Prayer Service. Some of the Greek-Americans of very significant accomplishment who participated in this celebration included:
Deputy Secretary of State, our country’s first Director of National Intelligence, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Negroponte
President George W. Bush’s envoy to Darfur, former head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and former Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Andrew Natsios
Gates Foundation Executive Director, President Bill Clinton’s Former Deputy Chief of Staff, and former White House Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director, Sylvia Matthew
Former Democratic Nominee for Governor of California and former California State Treasurer, Phil Angelides
House Europe Subcommittee Member (one of only 14 of the 435 Members), Congressmen Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Congressman and possible candidate for the U.S. Senate, Zack Space (D-OH)
Members of Congress John Sarbanes (D-MD), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Niki Tsongas (D-MA), as well as former Senator Paul Sarbanes were prevented from participating in this event by traffic gridlock that prohibited movement around Washington, D.C.(some sitting in traffic for hours trying to get to this event).
Brookings Institute Managing Director and former White House National Security Council staffer in the Clinton Administration, Bill Antholi
President Bill Clinton’s former Special Assistant and Senior Speechwriter and current Editor in Chief of The Washington Monthly magazine, Paul Glastris
President Lyndon Johnson’s Associate White House Press Secretary, Harold Pachios
Former long-time Chief of Staff for then-Senator Paul Sarbanes, Peter Marudas
Former Newsweek Magazine reporter and bureau head and current President of The Washington Monthly magazine, Markos Kounalakis
Then-Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin’s Deputy Chief of Staff and former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Director of Press Advance, Christian Edwards
FOX News Channel White House correspondent, Mike Emanuel
FOX 5 News ( Washington , D.C. ) Anchor Laura Evans Manatos
Former Associate Counsel to President Bill Clinton and current partner at the Howrey law firm, Dimitri Nionakis
Former Clinton Administration Associate Chief of the FCC’s International Bureau and former State Department Director of Communications for Economic Affairs, Peter C. Pappas
Former White House Office of Public Liaison Associate Director, Dana Edwards Manatos
State Department Deputy Director for European and Eurasian Public Affairs, Athena Katsoulos
Former Congressman Peter Kyros
Deputy Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and President of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association, Demetrios Giannaros
Rhode Island State Senator, Lou Raptakis
Deputy Head of the Washington , D.C. Delegation to the European Commission, Angelos Pangratis
Georgetown University Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Spiros Dimolitsas
University of South Carolina President, Harris Pastides
Then-Presidential Candidate Barack Obama’s Political Director in Connecticut , Nicholas Paindiris
Then-Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton’s Northwest Finance Director, Stefanie Roumeliotes
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty Founder and Executive Director Maria Foscarinis
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s Deputy Director of his Washington , D.C. office, Dean Tsilikas
Congressman John Sarbanes’ Legislative Assistant for Foreign Affairs, Andreas Akaras
Senator Arlen Specter’s Executive Assistant, Maria Plakoudas
Key U.S. Officials Who Are Philhellenes:
Member of the Leadership of the U.S. Senate (as Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and Senate European Affairs Subcommittee Member, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
The Ranking Member on the House Europe Subcommittee, Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
New House Foreign Affairs Committee Member, Congressman Michael McMahon (D-NY)
Representing the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), her children Christine Pelosi and Paul Pelosi
Former U.S. Ambassador to Greece , Tom Miller
House Foreign Affairs Committee Staff Director, Bob King
House Europe Subcommittee Staff Director, Jonathan Katz
The Speaker of the House’s Director of Interparliamentary Affairs, Kay King
Advisor to Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama’s Special Envoy for South Asia and Afghanistan, Ashley Bommer
General Wesley Clark’s Chief of Staff, Mark NicholsSenator Olympia Snowe’s Executive Assistant, Anna Levin
Congressman Zack Space’s Chief of Staff, Stuart Chapman
Department Deputy Director for European Affairs, Bridget Brink
State Department Greece Desk Officer, Adam Scarlatelli
State Department Cyprus Desk Officer, Terry Netos
CEH members who co-hosted and attended this event included: World Council of Hellenes (SAE) Honorary Chairman, Andrew A. Athens; PSEKA President and Pancyprian Association of America President, Philip Christopher; Cyprus Federation of America President, Panicos Papanicolaou; PSEKA Executive Vice President Nikos Mouyiaris; PSEKA Alternate President Tasos Zambas; Hellenic American Leadership Council Founding President and Alexi Giannoulias’ Political Director, Endy Zemenides; and Greek-American Chamber of Commerce President, Zenon Christodoulou. Those from Greece and Cyprus participating included: Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Alexandros Mallias; Ambassador of Cyprus to the US Andreas Kakouris; Mayor of Piraeus, Panayotis Fassoulas; Former Athens City Councilor Yvette Jarvis; and Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Heads of the major Greek-American Organizations participating included: Archon National Commander Anthony Limberakis; Archon Spiritual Advisor Father Alexander Karloutsos; Leadership 100 Vice Chairman Constantine G. Caras; Philoptochos President Aphrodite Skeadas; and AHEPA Supreme President Ike Gulas.
