AHI Hosts Milestone 50th Anniversary Hellenic Heritage Achievement and National Public Service Awards Dinner
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) hosted its 50th Anniversary Hellenic Heritage Achievement and Public Service Awards Dinner, April 13, 2024, Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C.
The evening’s program honored a distinguished set of awardees based upon their important career achievements and contributions to the Greek American community and community at-large. They were:
Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, Founder, CEO, and Co-Chairman of AKT Investments Inc., who received the AHI Hellenic Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award, and
Caterina Papoulias-Sakellaris, retired Business Executive and Philanthropist, who received the AHI Hellenic Heritage National Public Service Award.
“We were thrilled to celebrate our 50th anniversary by honoring two outstanding Greek Americans who have excelled in their careers and have set extraordinary examples as community leaders and philanthropists for us to emulate,” President Nick Larigakis said. “We congratulate them for their well-deserved honors and appreciate and laud their contributions to society. In addition, we congratulate AHI, also a member of Leadership 100, on its 50 years of extraordinary advocacy on behalf of our Greek Community, Greece, and Cyprus, and the Greek Diaspora.”
(L-R) James Lagos, AHI Chairman, Nicholas Chimicles, a member of Leadership 100, Gala Weekend Chairman, Caterina Papoulias-Sakellaris, member of the Leadership 100 Board of Trustees, and Nick Larigakis, AHI President (Photo: Bill Petros)
Both Tsakopoulos, formerly a member of the Leadership 100 Board of Trustees, and Papoulias-Sakellaris, currently a member of the Board of Trustees, are long time and prominent members of Leadership100. Demetrios G. Logothetis, Leadership 100 Chairman, attended the event and commented, “Leadership 100 is extremely proud of Angelo and Caterina, who have been exemplary members of Leadership 100 and extraordinary philanthropists who have advanced our Faith and Heritage, as well as their communities and American society.”
The program also included special presentations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Institute’s founding that included the video-short, “AHI at 50,” produced by veteran broadcast and media professional, Larry Michael, and President Larigakis.
(l-r) Nicholas Chimicles, member of Leadership 100, Gala Weekend Chairman; John Sitilides, member of the Leadership 100 Executive Committee, accepting the award on behalf of Angelo Tsakopoulos, prominent member of Leadership 100, Nick Larigakis, AHI President and James Lagos, AHI Chairman (Photo: Bill Petros)
Angelo Tsakopoulos, prominent member of Leadership 100, in video message at AHI’s 50th Anniversary Hellenic Heritage Achievement and Public Service Awards Dinner (Photo: Cosmos Philly/Eleftherios Kostans)
Fox News Channel Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel served as Master of Ceremonies.
On the eve of the dinner, internationally acclaimed classical crossover tenor, composer, and actor, Mario Frangoulis, headlined a concert in celebration of AHI’s Golden Jubilee at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
The American Hellenic Institute is a non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
Video coverage by Cosmos Philly, Greek American News from Philadelphia