Under the capable leadership of Mike Manatos, a reception took place at The Source, a restaurant in the Newseum, the popular interactive news museum, in the nation’s capital on April 30. A group of some 30 young and impressive Greek-American professionals gathered to hear the story of Leadership 100 and to share in an evening of fellowship.
Manatos, Vice President of Manatos and Manatos, a public relations firm, and the third generation of his family involved in government relations, told L100 partners and prospective Partners how proud he was to join Leadership 100 with his wife, Laura, describing the organization as an endowment program that provides valuable funding to the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Church. He thanked two distinguished young Greek American U.S. Congressmen in attendance, Gus Bilirakis, a Republican representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District, who was elected to the seat of his father, former U.S. Representative Michael Bilirakis, and John Sarbanes, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District and the son of former U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes. Both spoke on their concerns for Greek American issues and the human and religious rights issues regarding the situation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Stephen G. Yeonas, Leadership 100 Chairman, Constantine G. Caras, Leadership 100 Vice Chairman, Paulette Poulos, Executive Director (Interim) of Leadership 100 and Michael N. Bapis, National Chairman of Leadership 100 Partners, all addressed the gathering.
The highlight of the evening was a moving presentation by one of the newest L100 Partners, Maria Nanis Nionakis, who had joined with her husband, Dimitri. She expressed deep pride in being a part of Leadership 100 and in meeting so many prominent Greek Americans from throughout the United States at the 25th Anniversary Celebration Conference, held just last February in Puerto Rico.
In closing, Fr. John Tavlarides, Dean of Saint Sophia Cathedral in Washington DC, thanked Leadership 100 for its support of Clergy and the Church at large.
