Leadership 100 Executive Director Paulette Poulos was the keynote speaker at the annual Greek -American Heritage Celebration held in the Courtroom at Brooklyn Borough Hall on March 19, 2018. She was also presented with the Hellenic Heritage Award.

The event, organized by Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams in collaboration with the Hellenic Community of Brooklyn, commemorated the 197th anniversary of the Greek War for Independence, as well as the rich contributions of Greek Americans in the Borough of Brooklyn and the City of New York. Eight individuals who have made a difference within the community in education, faith and youth programs were honored.

The other honorees included Ula Dikeakos, Teddy Dikeakos, James Ladis, John Makrinos, Valerie Markou, Helen Pavlides, Maria Tsoukaris and Sylvia Vellios.

Among those present were Consul General of Greece in New York, Konstantinos Koutras, Consul Lana Zochiou, Deputy Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Ambassador Menelaos Menelaou, Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis and Andrew Gounardes, Counsel to the Brooklyn Borough President.

Panagiotis Kouroumplis, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of the Hellenic Republic, was also in attendance.

Brooklyn Borough President Adams congratulated and thanked the honorees for their services to Brooklyn and recognized the role of the Greek Community -among many others- in the progress of the borough. “47 percent of the people of the Borough of Brooklyn speak a language other than English at home; this is the United Nations of America”, he noted.

In her keynote address, Poulos referred to the ideals of the Greek Revolution and "the values of Hellenism that have penetrated the institutions of the United States and the lives of all Americans, even in the 21st Century".

"I became fully aware of the significance of what it means to be a true Hellene in my long association with Archbishop Iakovos of Blessed Memory who is remembered as a great American leader as well as a leader of his Church and community because of his understanding and devotion to Hellenism,” she said. “Along with the Archbishop and the untiring love and guidance I received from my parents Rebecca and Charles, who raised me in Brooklyn, I was instilled together with my sister Carol and my brother Peter with those values of Hellenism and the importance of faith and integrity", she added.

The Very Rev. Eugene Pappas, presiding priest of Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn, offered the invocation.

Following the presentation, the dance troops from D.G.K School of Holy Cross, A. Fantis School of SS Constantine and Helen Church and the Hellenic Classical Charter School performed in the Brooklyn Borough Hall Rotunda.