Leadership 100 Concluded 30th Annual Conference and Approved $6.2 Million in New Grants

By NEO Magazine on March 23, 2021

The Leadership 100 Executive Committee, meeting virtually, approved $6,182,500 in new grants and prior year commitments. New grants approved totaled $1,887,100 and prior year grant commitments totaled $4,295,400. In addition, the Executive Committee unanimously approved a grant of $100,000 to initiate the celebrations of the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution. This brings the total of grants distributed since the inception of Leadership 100 to more than $65 million, according to Argyris Vassiliou, Chairman. “We commend the thorough work of the Grant Committee, chaired by Justin Bozonelis. The Executive Committee approved all the new grants recommended by the Grant Committee.”

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

The 30th Annual Leadership 100 Conference, a virtual event, which ran from February 17-19, 2021, concluded with a resounding musical program, Greek Music for the Greek Revolution, 1821-2021, organized and introduced by Nektarios S. Antoniou, Artistic Director and Senior Advisor for Culture of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which was applauded by hundreds of participants.

L100 Chairman Argyris Vassiliou

The program, on Friday afternoon, February 19, opened with a heart-warming performance by the Archdiocesan Cathedral School Choir and included stirring renditions of Greek classical and contemporary music performed by Les Vibrations Sympathiques, conducted by Pavlos Kordis, pianist; the acclaimed Polis Ensemble; Soprano Eleni Calenos, accompanied by virtuoso pianist and musicologist, Dr. Athanasios Trikoupis; violinist Dr. Giannis Zarias and the Frog String Trio and Violin Orchestra; Mode Plagal; and singers Charis Tsalpara and Erini Ziogala, ending with the Ss. Cyril and Methodios Choir performing a sing-a-long Greek National Anthem. The music was accompanied by the showcasing of artistic works by master painter and iconographer Dr. George Kordis, and photographs and prints from the collection of The Treasury NYC.

Demetrios Logothetis, Vice Chairman of Leadership 100 and Vice Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee of the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution

The Conference had begun with the Executive Committee, Board of Trustees and General Assembly meetings The program, A TRIBUTE TO GREECE, In Celebration of the Bicentennial of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and our Hellenic Orthodox Christian Heritage, was opened by Chairman Vassiliou, who introduced Archbishop Elpidophoros, after thanking him for honoring Leadership 100 with leading off the celebration of the Bicentennial.

Her Excellency Alexandra Papadopoulou, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the United States of America

Both the Chairman and His Eminence thanked Leadership 100 Vice Chairman, Demetrios Logothetis, who was appointed by the Archbishop as Vice Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee of the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution, Logothetis then led the Tribute with introductions of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese plans for the Bicentennial Celebration and video messages from the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of “Greece 2021” Committee and Ambassador-at-Large of Greece, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, and Ambassador of Greece to the United States of America, Alexandra Papadopoulou. He then introduced the keynote address, The Greek Revolution through American Eyes, delivered by Tom Papademetriou, Ph.D., Constantine and Georgeian Georgiou Endowed Professor of Greek History and Director, Dean C. and Zoë S. Pappas Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies. Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey. The address was a special preview of the exhibition The Greek Revolution (1821-29) through American Eyes, which will open at the Maliotis Cultural Center on March 22, 2021.

His Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic

Archbishop Elpidophoros convened a special meeting earlier in February in which the committee for the Bicentennial celebrations was formed. He opened the meeting with words of encouragement and an important charge, “The story of Greek-America is an exciting one, and its roots in 1821 are a legacy of which we should all be proud and of which we should all be aware. Therefore, I welcome all of you to this noble and important work. I want you to imagine for a moment the gift you will be giving by unfolding this history for our community. Suddenly, young people will see the world around them through new eyes, eyes that behold the light of Greece on our world in a spectrum of radiance they might not have thought existed. Greece will appear in art, science, politics and even the English language, in ways that they might never have guessed.”

Her Excellency Gianna Angelopoulos -Daskalaki, Ambassador-at-Large of the Hellenic Republic and President of “Greece 2021” Committee

Following the Archbishop’s remarks, Vice Chairman Logothetis reviewed the overview of the campaign that will be divided into three distinct areas. These are: to promote events, whether online or in person, that occur across the US through a centralized calendar, to provide unique educational programs and content, and to hold proper, dignified and safe celebratory events. In addition, Logothetis called upon the members of the committee to join specific subcommittees that will enhance the already planned events and celebrations.

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