Ike Gulas: Bringing new vision to AHEPA and ushering in a new generation of leadership

by Dimitri C. Michalakis

Ike Gulas took up the reins of AHEPA this year as Supreme President and with his equally youthful Supreme Lodge has already galvanized the venerable 85-year-old institution with new energy and purpose. He takes up the torch from his 84-year-old father, who was a pioneer of the Birmingham, Alabama chapter and a visionary in his own right. Because Ike Gulas represents the very best of both generations and is a model for his own, he is our choice for the 2008 NEO Magazine Person of the Year.

When Ike Gulas became Supreme President of the AHEPA his 84-year-old father Alexandros was there to pass the torch. “He’s been a member for 60 years,” says his 45-year-old son. “My father and a few others have pretty much been the backbone of Birmingham’s AHEPA for years however they can’t continue to be as active as they once were. Therefore, I like to think it’s our turn to take the ball and run with it.”

And since his induction, Gulas has never stopped running. A lifelong AHEPA member (“I’ve been to every convention since 1978 and I met my wife Fanoula at a Miami convention at the Fountainbleau”), Gulas and his Supreme Lodge (with the top three officers all 45 or younger) have quickly galvanized the storied, 85-year-old organization.

In short order, he organized a series of caravans, or road trips, with his Executive Director and several lodge officers “in one week we drove approximately 2500 miles. We traveled up the I65 corridor and stopped along the way in cities where AHEPA chapters exist and met with the local AHEPA family and various Greek American organizations to spread the message of the Order of AHEPA. For example, this October in Chicago I spoke to the Hellenic Professional Society there and was able to recruit several new members.”

He initiated a This Week for Greeks mailing on the Internet that “sends a message about what’s going on in the Order of AHEPA, in the Greek American community, in Greece, and in politics and everyday life. It’s online and it’s a mass e-mail that goes out every Friday to 6,500 people. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and I am looking to expand this form of communication.”

When the fires broke out in Greece, AHEPA rallied to raise more than a half-million dollars in money and goods (over two tons of it) that were shipped to Greece courtesy of Olympic Airways. “Basic necessities were delivered to the people of the Peloponnesus which were desperately needed and in addition, we raised almost $300,000 in money contributions which we hope will assist in Greece’s reforestation and recovery.”

AHEPA was also instrumental through its communication with the U.S. State Department in helping to secure immediate assistance from USAID in the fires’ aftermath.

“AHEPA was in daily communication with the State Department and at one point was asked to put out an alert for Greek American firefighters who would volunteer to travel to Greece and serve as advisors to the Greek villagers who were fighting the fires,” says Gulas. “The State Department was assisting the AHEPA by trying to secure transportation and housing for these volunteers.”

In addition, AHEPA worked with many Congressmen and their offices to see if another $12 million in aid to Greece could be appropriated.

Following his induction, Gulas also travelled to Washington as a first priority and met with the State Department to see about Greece’s acceptance into the visa waiver program. “We felt that Greece was in compliance with all the requirements set forth by the U.S. Government and as Greek Americans we felt Greece’s inclusion in the visa waiver program was overdue,” he explains. “Shortly thereafter, Greece was nominated and the process for its inclusion began. It appears Greece will be fully accepted in the program by this summer. The fact that I am Supreme President during this time is exciting however I would be remiss if I did not give credit to my predecessor and his administration for beginning this initiative on behalf of the AHEPA two years ago. I know the AHEPA played a large part in this victory due to the legislation we helped introduce and the two years of constant meetings on this matter.” Gulas also has plans to start an AHEPA Bar Association, oversee the expansion of chapters in other countries around the world (“The expansion in Greece has been astronomical the last ten years”), and prepare for the historic Supreme Convention to be held in Greece this summer.

“The last convention the AHEPA hosted in Greece was in 1972,” he says. “We originally slated this one for 2002, until the terrorist attacks of 9/11. That year we held the convention in New York City as a gesture of solidarity and to show our support for the United States of America, but we always intended to reschedule the convention in Greece. This year everything fell into place and we will be hosting the Supreme Convention in Athens during the week of July 1 through 7.”

It will attract, he says, thousands of Greeks who have never been to Greece, which can be a logistical challenge, “but I believe it’s going to be very successful. For many Americans of Greek descent this will be an opportunity for them to visit and rediscover their Greek ancestry. It will also allow them to see just how much Athens has changed since hosting the hugely successful Olympic Games in 2004. It is an undertaking, it is a massive undertaking, but it is worth it.”

Gulas has been to Greece and Cyprus several times, and says the ties are crucial. “The reason that I am involved in AHEPA, the reason that I am Supreme President, is because I think we should assist Greece and Cyprus in achieving strong relations with our government through our ability to mobilize our members on a local level. AHEPA is an American organization formed by American citizens of Greek ancestry who were visionaries and we have to be cognizant of that. However, are proudly supportive of Greece and Cyprus when it comes to issues which we feel should be addressed by our elected officials here in the U.S. Some of these issues we are continuously pro active on are securing religious freedom for our Ecumenical Patriarchate, proposing legislation which will protect Greece’s Macedonian identity from being stolen and a resolution to the illegal occupation of Cyprus by the Turkish army.”

The Supreme President says the AHEPA has played this dual role with great success during its 85 year history and that is why it has a strong and credible voice on Capitol Hill today. “When we meet with and speak to Congress, speak to our elected leaders or the Department of State, we are cognizant that we are Americans representing the interests of Greek Americans, Greece and Cyprus.”

Gulas comes to his role naturally because he grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where the Greek American community is small but strong and where they established roots over a century ago.

“My grandfather, Theodore Gulas, came to Birmingham in the late 1800s from the Peloponnesus,” he says. “My father was the youngest of nine kids, and one of three born in the United States.”

They made up a huge extended family that stretched over Alabama and Tennessee, and though an only child, Gulas remembers “growing up with many cousins who have made an effort to keep in touch and stay close over the years. In fact, I’m still close with all of my cousins. My non-Greek friends are amazed by it, because I don’t think they share the relationship with extended family like Greeks do. My cousins and I are almost like brothers and sisters.”

His father was a pioneer in the South and opened a jazz club called The Key Club that in the segregation heyday of the 40s and 50s booked many legendary bluesmen like Louis Armstrong, Erskine Hawkins and Nat King Cole. “He was the first white club owner to allow African American musicians to perform in his club,” says Gulas. “Because of that, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991. Several famous jazz musicians who went on to play with Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie received their musical start playing at my dad’s club.”

And following in his father’s footsteps, Gulas never made any bones while growing up in the heart of the Deep South about who he was or where he came from.

“The thing about being a Greek in the South, that a lot of people do not realize, and which actually spurred the formation of the Order of AHEPA, is that there was a class system for many years and being Greek was not accepted as readily as in other parts of the country,” he says. “An example of that system is that in the 1960’s my parents could not buy a house in the neighborhood I live in today. Greek Americans growing up in those days had to shed their ethnicity if they wanted to assimilate into Anglo society. I never did; I embraced my Greek heritage and ethnic roots.”

He embraced his local church and community, as he later embraced the AHEPA family, of which his parents were active members.

“As a youth I would travel with my parents to most of the AHEPA Conventions around the country where I would meet other Greek American youth from other cities,” he remembers. “Seeing how they embraced their heritage and the common similarities we shared made me that much prouder to be Greek American. Many of these new friends spoke Greek fluently which made me thankful that my mother and father taught me to speak Greek as a child. Being Greek American has always been a source of pride for me and I hope to instill that pride in my children. As they grow I can see this pride beginning to manifest itself in them as well.”

Carrying on his father’s dream as well (Ike’s father wanted to be a lawyer, before his father presented him with a fait accompli and opened a restaurant for him to run), Gulas graduated the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and was admitted to the Alabama bar in 1990. But it didn’t take long before he opened up his own firm. “You know the old story that if you get three Greeks together you get four chiefs?” he asks. “Well, my father is pretty much a self made man and has been a businessman all his life so I guess I took a little bit of that from him and the rest of my family.”

Gulas & Stuckey hung up its shingle in 1998 and the firm has been in the forefront of the some of the largest civil litigation cases in the country ever since.

Most recently it won a $5.5 million settlement in the first federal trial involving the fentanyl pain patch Duragesic after the family of a 28-year-old man named Adam Hendelson sued a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary in a wrongful death action.

“We believed—and the jury ultimately found—that the patch leaked and killed Adam Hendelson,” says Gulas. “The company would have us believe that this was a rare occurrence even if it did leak. But our findings and our investigation in other cases that we are involved in showed their patches leak a lot more than the company would have us believe. This is a very dangerous product, and I don’t think that it should still be on the market.”

The verdict is only one battle in a multi-year, multi-case suit that might stretch on for several more years, but Gulas says despite the mountain of documents and string of legal battles, he never forgets the ultimate victims of the tragedy.

“It is hard not to become affected by someone’s catastrophic loss like this,” he says. “You put yourself in the parents’ position, and being a father, myself it makes it very personal and I think that is important when you are relaying a story and trying to get your point across to a set of jurors. Even though it is a job it is difficult not to empathize with you client and I truly believe that translates in the courtroom. The jury and every one in the courtroom felt the magnitude of our client’s loss. Most lawyers that take on cases like this do it because we care and hope to make a difference in people’s lives.”

There are easier ways to practice law than take on multi-billion dollar corporations, but he says he relishes the challenge. “You definitely question your judgment a lot,” he laughs. “I remember standing at the counsel table waiting on the verdict to come back in that trial and thinking to myself how much money and how much time we had invested in this case. But when you are successful and you witness the good you have done for your client, it makes it all worthwhile.” He’s waged something of his father’s fight, and he hopes his own son, Alexandros, 9, and daughter Eleni, 7, will carry on the tradition.

“We make time for other things in life and if you want your children to have a sense of who they are and where they came from and to be proud of their ethnicity, then you have to invest the time, which is why I’m active in the AHEPA,” he says. “It is possible to be involved in an organization and balance that involvement with being a parent, but it definitely takes a commitment. Many times I have flown home to Birmingham on the red eye flight to attend my son’s little league game or my daughter’s dance recital. I make it a point to get back for my children. They know how much I love them and how important they are to me. They also understand why I travel so much representing the Order of AHEPA. I want them to be fiercely proud of their heritage and I know I have accomplished that. Any time they learn something about their ancestors in school or see a program on television which highlights Hellenistic achievements their smiles could light up a room.”

Being involved in the AHEPA takes on a different meaning when discussing Gulas’ son, who has Cooley’s Anemia, a genetic blood disorder which requires a life of monthly blood transfusions and nightly injections. “I was already deeply involved in the AHEPA when my son was diagnosed with Cooley’s Anemia. I truly believe God put me here for a reason. My son Alex is my hero, plain and simple. To witness how he bravely faces his condition on a daily basis makes challenges I face pale in comparison and my resolve that much greater to raise awareness and money for Cooley’s Anemia research. We are close to a cure and all it takes is funding. AHEPA has been at the forefront of the battle against Cooley’s Anemia since the 1950’s but we need to do more as a community.”

The disease is prevalent among people of Mediterranean origin, but the American melting pot and intermarriage has allowed it to spread.

“We have many Greek Americans entertainers and celebrities who could make an impact and difference if they would only get involved in this worthy cause,” says Gulas. “It seems like an obvious choice for any successful Greek American celebrity to lend their support to this issue, however, it has been difficult for us to find that spokesperson as of yet. If you are someone who can make a difference, I believe you owe it to your heritage to step up and help eradicate a children’s disease that has afflicted your people for thousands of years.”

In addition, he feels AHEPA can be in the forefront of a major fundraising effort to raise the money for a cure. “It takes raising money and directing it to the leading researchers in the world. This is the message I want to spread as Supreme President.”

Added to all his other plans, he will have a busy tenure as Supreme President, but he has been more than busy already and he wants to get it all done before his term runs out.

“Just last week I was asked how much time I spend on AHEPA business in a day. My guess was 50% and I am certain that was a low guesstimate. You are only afforded the honor of being Supreme President for one or two years and to excel you have to be dedicated. I am fortunate to have a great partner and staff which totally understand my love and commitment for the AHEPA. I could never do this without their unwavering support.”

He adds, “As of today, much has been accomplished but there is much to be done. Our membership is on the rise, communication to our members has been improved through the use of technology, we enjoy a renewed presence on Capitol Hill and our grass roots initiative has been well received. When I made the commitment to run for the office I believed I could make a difference in the Order of AHEPA. Serving the members of the AHEPA as their Supreme President is an awesome responsibility which is humbling when you consider the impressive array of predecessors which came before me. Those before me passed on a strong organization which has been a leader in the Greek American community for 85 years. As one of its youngest Supreme Presidents, I view my responsibility as a bridge between them and a new generation of AHEPAN who can make this great organization stronger. My ultimate goal is to ensure our children will inherit an even stronger AHEPA when they assume its leadership.”