George M. Marcus, a longtime member of Leadership 100 who served with distinction on the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, will be the recipient of the 2023 Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. The Award will be presented on Friday, October 20, 2023, at the Bouras Award Dinner during the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Annual Archon Weekend in New York City.

Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order, said, “Virtually everywhere the Greek Orthodox Church in America is, there is George M. Marcus. He engages in an extraordinary range of foundations, organizations, and institutions in the Church and Greek community. Throughout his distinguished life of service, he has shown what it means to be an Archon, a true son of our Holy Mother Church in Constantinople.”

Marcus founded and served as Chairman of the National Hellenic Society, which brings together distinguished Greek Americans on a national level to preserve their heritage. He also spearheaded efforts to rebuild the Church of Panagia of Pera, the Cathedral Church of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch as Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome.

Marcus’ wide range of commitments includes memberships on the Board of Directors at the Modern Greek Studies Foundation, the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and Elios Society of Northern California.

Marcus is a Trustee Emeritus of California State University and a Regent Emeritus of the University of California. In 2018, The George and Judy Marcus Funds for Excellence in the Liberal Arts was established at San Francisco State University, which includes the George and Judy Marcus Awards for Faculty and Student Research. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Board of Directors of the Presidio Trust.

He graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. degree in Economics, was honored as Alumnus of the Millennium in 1999 and received an honorary doctorate in 2011. He made his mark in business, founding G.M. Marcus & Company that evolved into Marcus & Millichap Company, where he still serves as Chairman. Marcus is the majority owner of two renowned Greek restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area; Kokkari in San Francisco and Evvia in Palo Alto. In 2014 Mr. Marcus participated in the White House Greek Independence Day celebration, where the authentic cuisine of his restaurants was served, with both President Obama and Vice President Biden in attendance.

George M. Marcus was invested as an Archon on February 24, 1991, and conferred with the offikion Exarchos. He is a fulfilled founder of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation.

The Award is named after the late National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, who demonstrated remarkable leadership as a faithful son of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and exemplary steward of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Churchman, World War II hero, devoted husband of his beloved late wife Anna, Philanthropist, sincere Christian, Archon par excellence and Industrialist are terms that have all described the life of Nicholas J. Bouras.

Past recipients of the Award have included George D. Behrakis (2011), James C. Fountas and John Halecky, Jr. (2012), Stephen J. Yallourakis, M.D., D.D.S. (2013), Christopher Stratakis, Esq. (2014), the Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas (2015), Theofanis V. Economidis (2016), John A. Catsimatidis (2017), George E. Safiol (2018), John S. Zavitsanos (2019) and Michael G. Psaros (2022).