Don't Miss

George Marcus, Greek-American Philanthropist & Entrepreneur

By NEO Magazine on October 23, 2024

by Elena Kefalogianni

George Marcus, originally named George Moutsanas, was born in Evia, Greece, and moved to the U.S. at the age of five. Adjusting to life in San Francisco was challenging, as he initially spoke only Greek. His mother encouraged him to stay connected to his heritage by attending Greek Church and Greek School. Reflecting on his journey, Marcus said, “I was proud of my Greekness but also trying to fit in with American culture.”

From left to right: Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Archon John Gumas (friend of George Marcus), His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, George Marcus, Archon Tony Saris (friend of George Marcus)

After completing his education, he founded Marcus and Millichap, where he currently serves as Chairman. Marcus and Millichap was founded in 1971 and has since worked with thousands of clients in creating and preserving wealth through commercial real estate investment sales. It now has more than 80 offices throughout the US and Canada. Marcus’s business success inspired him to seek a philanthropic cause, and he felt a strong connection to the Greek Church. “After I became successful in business, I looked for a philanthropic cause that was important to me and the Greek Church was a natural,” he said. Marcus had visited the Phanar several times over five or ten years, meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch and other Church leaders.

George Marcus and Judy Marcus (wife of George Marcus)

His commitment deepened when he discovered that the Panagia of Pera had a facility in need of restoration. After discussions with Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Franscisco, to whom Marcus has a very close relationship with, he pledged $500,000 for its restoration. Ultimately, Marcus donated $1 million as the estimated cost turned out to be larger than anticipated. “Five years ago, I found out that Panagia of Pera had a facility that was decaying and was not usable anymore and that was where they had a lot of the visiting Orthodox Bishops and now, they couldn’t. I asked Metropolitan Gerasimos and he affirmed the importance of the restoration,” said Marcus.

From left to right: Demetra Marcus Bell (daughter of George Marcus) and Alexandria Marcus (daughter of George Marcus), Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, George Marcus, Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, Dr. Kenneth Frangadakis (friend of George Marcus), and Theodore Bozonelis

He also feels a deep sense of pride in his involvement with the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). He appreciates the organization’s efforts in providing humanitarian aid and supporting communities in need, but he also believes there’s more the Orthodox community could do to amplify their impact. He envisions increased collaboration among parishes, more robust outreach programs, and greater engagement with local and global issues. By harnessing the collective strength of the Orthodox community, he believes they can unite their front against Turkey. “For example, the IOCC has helped tremendously Orthodox people and countries when facing problems such as starvation. We also need an organization that unites the Greek Orthodox of the world structured by leaders of our churches. Such organization may help protect us from Turkish influences,” he said.

Marcus is also engaged in the Greek cultural community, participating in several key organizations, including the National Hellenic Society (NHS)-he was the one to conceive and orchestrate its foundation, the Elios Society, and Leadership 100. His commitment to these groups reflects his passion for preserving and promoting Greek heritage and values. “I’m very proud of my people. We have done a remarkable job. The goal was to help one another and help our community,” said Marcus.

From left to right: John Moutsanas (son), Georgia Tsigaris (daughter-in-law), Jana Tsigaris (grandchild), Yianni Tsigaris (grandchild), Alexandria Marcus (daughter), George Marcus, Judy Marcus (wife), Mary Jane Moutsanas (daughter)¸Evvia Gurney (grandchild), Derek Gurney, Demetra Marcus Bell (daughter), Marlowe Bell (grandchild), Jayden Bell (grandchild), Blaine Bell (son-in-law)

For example, NHS’s Heritage Greece Program, a two-week all-inclusive cultural and educational journey to Greece, transformed the lives of hundreds of Greek American students who had never visited Greece before. The Program is in collaboration with American College of Greece (ACG) and the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) dividing students into groups and pairing them up with local peers to foster lifelong friendships and exchange cultural norms. Among meetings with Greek officials, government members and well-known industry experts, students visit museums, ancient sites, and Greek culinary destinations. More than 300 students have participated in the Heritage Greece Program and the NHS is planning on expanding the opportunity to hundreds more.

Additionally, Marcus owns two successful Greek restaurants: Evia in Palo Alto and Kokkari in San Francisco. He believes in the importance of preserving Greek cuisine and sharing its flavors, saying, “My parents were great cooks, but there weren’t any restaurants offering truly exceptional Greek food.”

While he celebrates Greek cuisine, Marcus emphasizes that Greeks are also united by their ideals and belief in democracy. Regarding the upcoming U.S. election, he remarked, “I believe we really don’t have a choice; Kamala Harris has been a remarkable young woman who is very capable and is a very down to earth, wonderful person. She is the kind of person that could lead our country successfully and I think supporting her is the right thing to do.”

George M. Marcus

George M. Marcus is the founder of Marcus & Millichap Company and its chairman since 1971. Marcus & Millichap Company is the parent company of a diversified group of real estate, service, investment and development firms. Mr. Marcus is also chairman of Essex Property Trust (a publicly held multi-family real estate investment trust). He was one of the original founders and directors of Plaza Commerce Bank and Greater Bay Bancorp, both publicly held financial institutions. He continues to serve on the board of directors of Greater Bay Bancorp. Included among Mr. Marcus’ professional memberships are the Board of Regents of The University of California, the Apartment Industry Foundation, in which he currently serves on the board of directors, the Real Estate Roundtable and the Policy Advisory Board of the University of California at Berkeley – Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from San Francisco State University in 1965; he was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 1989. Mr. Marcus is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School of Owners/Presidents Management Program and the Georgetown University Leadership Program.