Alexi Giannoulias’ only promise:
“To make us all proud, all the time”
Demetrios Rhompotis
When he was elected to office on November 7, 2006, Alexi Giannoulias became at the age of 30 the youngest State Treasurer in U.S. history. But since Illinois’ economy is the 7th largest in the U.S. that means he’s responsible for investing $17 billion in taxpayer dollars on a daily basis! Two years later, as the fortunes of his mentor and friend Senator Barack Obama have risen at the White House level, pundits say that the energetic Greek American, who like Obama ran against many odds and won, is very close to becoming the youngest officer in even higher echelons. Some talk about the Senate, others about running for Governor, some even have him getting a position in the Obama administration.
“It’s good to be ambitious and want to do more, but I think you need to be focused on what you are doing right now,” Alexi said to NEO at a recent fund raising event in New York City, which his mother Anna and brothers Dimitri and George also attended. “My job is to be the best State Treasurer in the country, to help the people of Illinois.” He also made clear that his association with Obama is not based on any exchange of services. “I believe in him as individual and I think he will make this country a better place. I’ve never asked nor would I ask for any special favor.”
Alexi Giannoulias grew up in Chicago, attended the University of Chicago, transferred to Boston University, graduated cum laude with a Bachelors degree in economics. He played NCAA Division I level basketball while at Boston University, and was named to the America East Conference Academic Honor Roll each of the two years he played. He then played professional basketball in Greece for a year (Panionios Basketball Team) before enrolling at Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, earned a law degree, and passed the Illinois Bar exam. Coming out of school, he worked as Vice-President and Senior Loan Officer at Broadway Bank in Chicago, founded by his late father Alekos, where he got part of the real-life experience required for his duties as State Treasurer. He also serves on the board of directors of the Community Banker’s Association of Illinois Legislative Committee, the South Side/Wabash YMCA, and the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce. Alexi Giannoulias founded and chairs the AG Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that donates money to treat child-related illnesses, curb poverty and assist disaster relief organizations. The foundation has benefited many charities, including those assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Not only do you represent a new breed of Greek-Americans in politics, you also manage to inspire many even older than you. Do you see this becoming a trend?
I think it’s possible. We are excited about it and I think getting people in office who are not only Greek-Americans, but qualified, capable, intelligent, passionate Greek leaders, is extremely important. I also think if they see someone who’s young, with energy and enthusiasm, really excited about public service, they might get excited too. So, if one person sees what we have been able to do in Illinois, one Greek kid somewhere gets inspired and we can have a new generation of people in politics. And not only run for office. They can be chief of staff, they can be philanthropists, they can be like Mike Jaharis, they can be like Andy Zemenides who’s a successful attorney. Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an elected official.
Although there are countless successful Greeks in every field, when it comes to politics it seems they shun the limelight. Why do you think that is?
I don’t know, but hopefully that will change. Again, there need to be role models for Greek Americans to follow, to say, you know what, if Alexi can do it I can do it, and I want to run for office, whether it’s school board president or governor or mayor. We need a next generation to really get involved, run for office, get engaged in the civic process.
After you got elected, did you witness something like that happening in Illinois?
We’ve done great. We got a couple of judges hired for whom we are very proud, we got some candidates whom I think in the next couple of years they’ll be running for office, we have a Greek chief of staff to the alderman of downtown Chicago, we started to get people more engaged in the process which is really exciting for me.
For the last 7 years we had two Greek-Americans next to President Bush, John Negroponte and Francis Frangos Townsend. Yet even in a minor for the US issue, such as FYROM’s name, they didn’t matter. Why are Greek Americans in position of power less assertive when it comes to Hellenic issues?
I think we have to get people in office who understand our issues. In Illinois we’ve done great with every single thing that we requested. They have to understand, to pay attention, to learn about our issues. And I don’t thing the Greek community asks for any special favors. They just want fairness and they want that all our issues be viewed in a fair and equitable way. If you look at some of them, like the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we are not asking for any special favors, we are asking for respect and understanding of our religion. When you look at the Macedonian issue, we are just asking for respect of our history. We made a lot of concessions in the FYROM issue. Look at Cyprus, we are saying there shouldn’t be militarization on the island. Again, we are not asking for anything dramatic, we are asking for the rule of law to be respected.
Is Senator Obama such a leader?
Every time we’ve asked his help, he has been great, he understands the issues that are important to us and while I can’t speak for the Senator nor will I speak for him, I can tell you that he is someone who at every issue he’s been willing to learn, to understand what is very important to us as a community.
Your political paths have many similarities and seem to run parallel ways form a point on. Should we expect from you going at least as high as Senator Obama in the near future?
Well, “siga, siga” (one step at the time, in Greek.) I love my job. I’m thirty two years old, the youngest State wide official in the country, and that means a lot to me. It’s good to be ambitious and want to do more, but I think you need to be focused on what you are doing right now. My job is to be the best State Treasurer in the country, to help the people of Illinois and in my free time to find ways to help my mentor (Barack Obama) to become president of the United States.
If he becomes president, a very likely possibility at this point, and although, as you said, you have an important job to do, will you consider a cabinet post or his Senate seat if it’s offered to you?
We never talked about that with him and I am not helping him because I want something or I expect anything. I’m helping Senator Obama because from the bottom of my heart, I believe in him as a leader, I believe in him as individual and I think he will make this country a better place. I’ve never asked or would I ask for any special favor. It will be a great day for me, a great day for this country and a great day for everyone around the world when Barack Obama gets sworn in.
What are the main challenges you are facing as Illinois Treasurer?
We have a structural deficit in Illinois, we are facing a recession, families are really going through tough times, skyrocketing costs of food, fuel and the foreclosure crisis. Ideally we need leaders in office who understand what it means to make difficult financial decisions and I hope that we make some important changes. I hope that at the federal level, Senator Obama will be elected in order to make the changes needed.
If I’d ask you for a message, what would you say to Greek-Americans?
We use the term pride very loosely these days. And I have to tell you that from the bottom of my heart, I’m so proud to be Greek, I’m so proud of my heritage, my language, to be part of the Greek church and when people tell me they are impressed of things that I’ve accomplished at such a young age, I say that’s not impressive. What’s impressive is our parents who came to this country, worked hard, taught themselves the language, raised their families, made all the tough decisions and sacrifices, that’s impressive. My message is, thanks for everything, I promise I’ll make you all very proud, all the time.
