The First National Leadership 100 Sunday was observed in hundreds of Greek Orthodox parishes across the country on Sunday, October 18. Parish Priests read the Encyclical issued by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios on behalf of the Holy Eparchial Synod and members of Leadership 100 spoke of the 25-year-old mission of the organization founded in 1984 to support the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and to advance Orthodoxy and Hellenism in America. The date was chosen as the Sunday prior to the Feast Day of St. Iakovos, a tribute to Archbishop Iakovos of Blessed Memory, the visionary Founder and namesake of the Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund.

The National Membership Committee, under the Chairmanship of Thomas L. Demakes, succeeded in recruiting 24 new memberships toward the 2009 goal of 50. There are now 827 members with 397 fulfilled members and 86 Leadership 100 Partners.

George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and ABC News’s Chief Washington Correspondent, who was President Clinton’s senior political advisor and Communications Director; George Pelecanos, the award-winning author, film and television producer whose newest book, The Way Home, was on President Obama’s reading list this summer; and George Argyros, former United States Ambassador to Spain and one of America’s foremost real estate investors, will highlight the 19th Annual Leadership 100 Conference at Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, California, from February 4-7, 2010.

Andrew A. Athens, a Founding Member and the first Chairman of Leadership 100, who is also National Chairman of the United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC), President and Founder of hellenicare and Honorary President of the World Council of Hellenes (SAE), received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law from the American College of Greece in recognition of his outstanding service to others and extraordinary achievements. The degree was conferred at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Neo Faliro, Greece on Saturday, June 27, 2009.

The George D. and Margo Behrakis Art of the Ancient World Wing was dedicated at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on September 12. Behrakis, Chairman Emeritus of Leadership 100, and with his wife, Margo, long-time members of Leadership 100 and the hosts of the 25th Anniversary Celebration Conference last February in Puerto Rico, is among seven “guardians” of the Museum, who have contributed $25 million or more during their lifetime of giving. A noted philanthropist and innovative pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry, he sold Muro Pharmaceutical Inc. in 1998.

The Pappajohn Sculpture Park, a collection of 24 sculptures valued at $40 million and sitting on 4.4 acres of green space in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, opened with a stirring celebration on Sunday, September 27 with a crowd of more than 1,000 in attendance as state and city leaders thanked the principal benefactors, John and Mary Pappajohn, long-time members of Leadership 100.