AHC Annual
Honors Awards Dinner


Share |


July is an important month for the American Hellenic Council of California (AHC), the leading Greek American political action organization in the West Coast.

In July 1974, Turkey invaded the island state of Cyprus, causing thousands of deaths and forced displacement for 160,000 people. A group of active Greek Americans from the greater Los Angeles area came together in order to respond to the crisis and make sure that this act of barbarism wouldn’t go unanswered. That is how the AHC came to be and since then it has been the focal point of political activities of Greek Americans in California. The AHC has become an effective and respected political lobbying group whose sole purpose is to lobby the U.S. Congress for the protection and promotion of Greek-American interests. During its existence, the American Hellenic Council has supported numerous Hellenic issues, has made political donations and raised significant contributions for members of Congress who support Hellenic issues.

Recently, AHC held its 34th Annual Honors Dinner Dance at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. “With over 400 people in attendance, the evening was a great success thanks to the support of our members and friends,” says Alexander Mizan, AHC’s Director. “Every year, AHC celebrates the achievements of dedicated political and community leaders who have made major contributions to Hellenic causes.” This year, with KRON journalist Vicki Liviakis as the event's Master of Ceremonies, the Council recognized the accomplishments of four honorees - Mr. George M. Marcus, Ms. Zoye Fidler, Mr. Demetrios Liappas and Congresswoman Dina Titus.

Mr. Marcus received the Aristeion Award, presented each year to an outstanding individual who has made a major impact in his field and has been a supporter of Hellenism. The award is a testimony to Mr. Marcus's achievements in the real estate business as co-founder of Marcus & Millichap and as head of the Essex Property Trust, a publicly held REIT. It also recognized the support Mr. Marcus has given to several Greek-American organizations, including the Elios and the National Heritage Societies.

The Saloutos honor was awarded to Mr. Liappas and Ms. Fidler in recognition of their contributions to Hellenism in the community. The award is named after Theodore Saloutos, one of the founding members of the American Hellenic Council. Mr. Liappas has been longtime Director of the Basil P. Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Ms. Fidler received the Saloutos award after years of service to Hellenic Causes. Having served as president of the Greek-American Heritage Society of California, she was instrumental in developing many documentaries about Greek immigrants in the United States and raising awareness about their lives and history.

The Pericles award was given to first-term Greek-American Congresswoman Dina Titus, who represents the 3rd district of Nevada. Ms. Titus is the granddaughter of Greek immigrants and grew up in Georgia. Before she was elected in Congress, she was a professor of Political Science at the University of Nevada. Since her taking the oath of office, she has ardently supported the causes of our community in Congress and raised awareness of our issues among her colleagues.

Next year's Annual Honors Dinner Dance is expected to be held on April 9 in Los Angeles, CA. For more information on contributing, attending or participating in this or other AHC-sponsored events during the year, please direct all inquiries to the American Hellenic Council at: 323-651-3507 or online at www.americanhellenic.org.

©2010 NEOCORP MEDIA









web stats tracker