Los Angeles, CA – The Board of Directors of the American Hellenic Council, the leading Greek-American advocacy organization in the Western United States, elected Dr. James Dimitriou of Redondo Beach, California, as their new President and Chairman of the Board on September 1st, 2018.

“It is an honor for me to have the support and confidence of our Board of Directors to continue in the footsteps of our Chairman, Menas Kafatos”, said Dr. Dimitriou. “As a founding member of the former Save Cyprus Council, I hope to serve in the spirit of my early mentors, Dr. Theodore Saloutos, Peter Calogeras, and Aris Anagnos. It is a time of many challenges and threats that will require a rededication of both spirit & action. Please join me in sharing this vision.”

A noted educator and scholar, Dr. Dimitriou is a past Supreme President of AHEPA, as well as a founding member of the Save Cyprus Council (known today as the American Hellenic Council). Over the years, Dr. Dimitriou has played an active role in the community, serving as the former Director of the “Journey to Greece” program, National AHEPA Education Chairman, as well as the Chairman of the Cyprus & Hellenic Affairs Committee. In 2004, Dr. Dimitriou was named to the Order of Saint Andrew of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He is also a co-founder and current Board member of the Greek Heritage Society, as well as an active Board member of the Hellenic Society of Constantinople, and longtime President of the Marmara Society.

Dr. Dimitriou’s election marks the beginning of a new era for the American Hellenic Council. “The Council couldn’t be in better hands”, said outgoing President Menas Kafatos. “There are a host of issues facing the Hellenic communities in Greece and Cyprus, as well as here in the United States. The American Hellenic Council will continue being an important agent for innovation, continuity, as well as supporting and protecting the traditions that bind us together. Many of us in the arts, the sciences, the humanities, in academia, the commercial sector, religious traditions, as well as all Hellenic communities, will continue our support for tradition, the rule of law, and our rich history”.

Dr. Menas Kafatos, who is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book “You are the Universe”, went on to say, “In my travels, book signings and lectures, I am amazed about the resilience of the Hellenic spirit. I have been honored and blessed to be the President and Chairman of the AHC Board for the past five years. The AHC was founded in 1974, initially under a different name. It will continue to exist because it fulfills vital roles and is popular with the community. I am sure that Jim’s leadership skills and integrity will energize our members and allow the Council to continue playing a significant role in advocating for the issues most important to the Hellenic-American community”.

Los Angeles, California – On Saturday, May 19, 2018, Professor Demetrios Liappas celebrated his retirement from the directorship of the Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies at Loyola Marymount University.  At an elegant reception in a room with a breath-taking view of the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles basin, a gathering of former students, friends, supporters, and colleagues exchanged memories as Lambros Howard played traditional Greek music.

Many of the Center’s strongest, most loyal supporters attended, among them: Peter and Vivi Demopoulos, Cleo Andrews, Hope Berk, Dalia and Kip Miller, George and Tina Kolovos, Eleftheria and Ted Polychronis, Dr. Anatasios Chassiakos, Rosalind Halikis, and Peter and Caroline Caloyeras.  Several of the leading organizations for the Greek community of Southern California were represented by their leadership including the Hellenic University Club by the current President, Dr. Zafiris Gourgouliatos, The Federation of Greek Organizations of Southern California by Dr. Philip Trevezas, President, and the Greek Heritage Society by the current President, Shelly Papadopoulos and board member Anna Gianniotis.  After more than forty years of teaching and administration, Professor Liappas was passing the torch to Professor Christina Bogdanou, the current Director of the Center.

The gathering was blessed by Fr. John Bakas, Dean of St. Sophia Cathedral, who is also an Adjunct Professor of Theology at LMU, teaching courses in Greek Orthodoxy and Greek Orthodox Spirituality for the Center and the Department of Theology.  Fr. Bakas and Presbytera Bakas were joined at the reception by Fr. and Presbytera Michael Courey of St. Katherine’s in Redondo Beach. Another long-time supporter of the Center, the Honorable Andreas Kyprianides, Honorary Consul General of Cyprus, served as Master of Ceremonies.

In his remarks, he reminded the guests of the traumatic conditions under which the Center was born, the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus which galvanized the Greek community of Southern California and which energized Greek studies at LMU.  Demetrios Liappas, with Andreas Kyprianides and three others who were also present at the retirement party—Aris Anagnos, Dr. Jim Dimitriou, and Ted Polychronis—were among the original founders of the Save Cyprus Council which has evolved into the dynamic political action group, the American Hellenic Council.

Also in attendance were some of Professor Liappas’ family members who had flown in from the east coast and from Australia.  They were his sister Katy Christodouleas, her sons Drs. James and John Chrisodouleas, her daughter Dr. Tina Christodouleas Tabakovic, and their nephew, Apostolos Pinakidis.  Dr. James Christodouleas of Price Waterhouse Cooper, Australia, spoke of the family’s love for their brother and uncle.  Basil P. Caloyeras, whose father, Peter, first endowed the Center, added his words of appreciation for Professor Liappas’ achievements and renewed his pledge to support the work of the Center.  The Associate Dean of Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at LMU, Dr. Molly Youngkin, talked about the importance of the instructional program of the Center in the academic mission of the university.

The Center offers a Minor in Modern Greek Studies, one of the very few institutions in the United States to do so, and also supports the mission of the university with a strong and vital summer abroad experience, the Odyssey Program in Greece.  Three former students of the Center, Antigoni Vasilopoulou ’15, Fotis Davlantis ’04, and Gabriel Courey ’09 gave moving tributes to the life-changing opportunities that Professor Liappas and the Center had provided them in their education.  Donna Gray, Director of Development, Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, thanked the many donors who were present and reminded us all that philanthropy is a Greek virtue.  The program ended with the Professor Liappas telling us of the history of the Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies and expressing his gratitude for all the years of support that so many in the Greek community have given the Center.  He was especially touched by the presence of Vasso Fischer, former President of the Hellenic University Club, Zoyë Fidler, founding President of the Greek Heritage Society and Aris Anagnos, one of the founders of the Save Cyprus Council and long-time supporter of social justice and generous supporter of the Center.

Los Angeles, CA – Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, traveled to Greece in September, just prior to her official trip to Armenia with Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ).

While in Greece, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard met with Greek Government officials and religious leaders, organized by the U.S. Embassy in Athens and the American Hellenic Council. This was the Congresswoman’s first trip to Greece since being elected to office in 2013, which allowed her the opportunity to see first-hand the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing the country, as well as the chance to discuss with Greek officials a large range of issues of mutual interest.

“The trip was planned, relatively, on short notice and I was only there for less than 48 hours, but we were able to get a lot done in that short period of time”, said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard in an exclusive interview with AHC Executive Director, Ioannis Fidanakis, upon her return to the United States. The full text of which can be found below.

Read full interview