Phillip T. Frangos Elected Supreme President of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA)

On Friday night, we honored excellence in the community at our Grand Banquet-which is the pinnacle event of each of our Supreme Conventions.

We were thrilled to honor George Kalogridis, president, Walt Disney® Parks and Resorts, as well as B’nai B’rith International. George Kalogridis was presented with the AHEPA Socrates Award for excellence in his profession. The Socrates Award is the highest honor the AHEPA can bestow upon an individual. “I stand before you both as a son of America and a son of Greece,” he said in acceptance.

B’nai B’rith International was the first organization to receive the AHEPA-Archbishop Iakovos Humanitarian Award (previous recipients have all been individuals) for its 171 years of global humanitarian work, service to the community, especially to senior citizens; and unwavering efforts to combat intolerance and anti-Semitism. In acceptance, B’nai B’rith International President Allan Jacobs cited a 1938 write-up in B’nai B’rith’s publication that reported on AHEPA’s passage of a resolution that condemned “the inhuman and cruel persecution of a race which has given so much to the world.”

Both recipients of the awards received standing ovations!

We received inspirational remarks delivered by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, who was our Keynote Speaker, as well as remarks from the Ambassador of Greece to the United States Christos Panagopoulos, Ambassador-Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus Vasilis Philippou, and Philip Christopher, president, International Coordinating Committee-Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA). Our Ahepan of the Year and our AHEPA Lifetime Achievement Award were presented to Peter Marudas and Alex Booras, respectively. And all of us enjoyed plenty of laughs from my alter ego, Basile the Comedian, who was our master of ceremonies!

AHEPA National Housing President Angelo Kostarides announced charitable contributions of more than $360,000 to national and local community service and charitable organizations. And in remarks by Penelope Alefantis that clearly moved the audience (including myself to tears), the Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena announced the Junior Orders raised $60,000 for research to find a cure to Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare neuro-muscular disorder. Penelope suffers from this terrible rare disease. She is truly an inspiration to us all!

Finally, we heard farewell remarks from each of the AHEPA Family’s national leaders-AHEPA Supreme President Anthony Kouzounis, Daughters of Penelope Grand President Joanne Saltas, Sons of Pericles Supreme President John Ververis, and Maids of Athena Grand President Angela Armstrong. All provided eloquent and lasting remarks that we will take with us and reflect upon on our travels back home.

Supreme President Kouzounis did leave us with one final challenge-to raise funds for the rebuilding of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine at Ground Zero. Even before officially rolling out our fundraising drive, we collected $3,000 toward this effort tonight! We’re off to a great start!

As the convention draws to a conclusion, I’d like to once again thank our major sponsors: FAGE; Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr, and Smith; AHEPA National Housing Corp.; Gaea; Wells Fargo Advisors; Walt Disney® Parks and Resorts; Pappas Restaurants; Loucas Law; and Franklin Pharmacy.

Finally, congratulations to AHEPA’s new Supreme President, Phillip T. Frangos, of East Lansing, Michigan, to the newly-elected AHEPA Supreme Lodge and Board, and all newly elected AHEPA Family officers. All the best for the 2014-2015 administrative year!

Safe travels!

Fraternally,

Basil Mossaidis

Executive Director

Here is the complete list of elected AHEPA national officers:

The 2014-15 Supreme Lodge is comprised of:
Supreme President
Phillip T. Frangos