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A 41 Year Tradition: The American Hellenic Council Awards Gala

By on April 11, 2015

On April 25th, the American Hellenic Council (AHC) of California will be holding its Annual Gala. The event, which is expected to attract over 400 attendees, will be held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

The AHC will be honoring four distinguished individuals for their service to Hellenism and their excellence in their professional fields. Chairman, CEO and Global Co-CIO of Calamos Investments, John Calamos, and Owner and Founder of Felix BNI, Peter Economides will be honored with the Aristeion Award for their extraordinary accomplishments in their fields of expertise. Former United States Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis will be honored with the Pericles Award for her advocacy of peace, democracy, and justice and her support of the issues that concern the Hellenic-American community. Author of “Kissinger & Cyprus: A Study in Lawlessness”, Gene Rossides will be honored with the Theodore Saloutos Award for his exemplary work at the American Hellenic Institute and for bringing the plight of Cyprus and the Rule of Law to the head of our political action efforts. 

John Calamos

John Calamos

John P. Calamos, Sr., is Chairman, CEO and Global Co-CIO of Calamos investments, which he founded in 1977. The firm is headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area with additional offices in London and New York.
Mr. Calamos has established research and investment processes centered around a team-based approach designed to deliver superior risk-adjusted strategies including equity, fixed income, convertible and alternative investments. He has written two books: Investing in Convertible Securities: “Your Complete Guide to the Risks and Rewards and Convertible Securities: The Latest Instruments, Portfolio Strategies”, and “Valuation Analysis”. Mr. Calamos received his B.A. in Economics and M.B.A. in Finance from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis

Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis

Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis was the Untied States Ambassador to Hungary from January 2010-July 2013. Before accepting President Obama’s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador, she was president of AKT Development Corporation, one of California’s largest land development firms. Ambassador Kounalakis served for nearly ten years as a Trustee of the World Council of Religions for Peace. In recognition for her work with the WCRP, she was awarded the medal of St. Paul, the Greek Orthodox Church of America’s highest honor. Ambassador Kounalakis earned her undergraduate degree from DartmouthCollege and an MBA from the Haas School of Business. In 2011, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the AmericanCollege of Greece.

Gene Rossides

Gene Rossides

Gene Rossides served as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury from 1969 to 1973, during the first term of the Nixon Administration. Henry Kissinger was National Security Adviser during this time. Rossides supervised the U.S. Customs Service, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He served as the U.S. representative to INTERPOL. From 1958 to 1961, he served in the Eisenhower Administration and is a founding director of the Eisenhower Institute. In 1974, following Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, he founded the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and in 1975, the AHI Foundation (AHIF). Mr. Rossides is also the author of the book, “Kissinger & Cyprus: A Study in Lawlessness”. He graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Law School.

Peter Economides

Peter Economides

Peter Economides is the owner and founder of Felix BNI based in Athens. He is a former Executive Vice President and Worldwide Director of Client Services at global advertising agency, McCann Erickson Worldwide, and Head of Global Clients at TBWA\Worldwide. His journey through the world of advertising and marketing started in his native South Africa and took him via Hong Kong, Greece and Mexico to New York, and back to Athens. Peter’s work is focused on change – on the strategic responses to shifting culture, consumer habits and behavior, and the challenges of regional and global expansion. His view is that branding strategy needs to be spherical and all encompassing, touching every aspect of the business organization and process. Peter is also a Board Director of Make-A-Wish Foundation International.

Demetrios Boutris, the President and CEO of Boutris Group, a Real Estate, Business & Policy Consulting Firm, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Entertainment will be provided by the Takis Kokotas Band.

The American-Hellenic Council is a non-partisan political advocacy organization with stated goals to promote democracy, human rights, peace, and stability in Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, with an emphasis on Greece and Cyprus, by informing the American public and public officials about on-going issues and conflicts in the area and about the threat arising from the economic crisis in Greece.

Since its inception, the American Hellenic Council has been the focal point of political activities of Greek Americans in California. The AHC has become an effective and respected political advocacy group whose primary purpose is to educate and inform 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 and has expressed support for members of Congress that understand and subscribe to its causes.

For more information on the Annual Gala and AHC their website is americanhellenic.org

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