Leadership 100 Members Awarded Ellis Island Medals of Honor

Ellis Island Medals of Honor were awarded to Theodore K. Zampetis of Bloomfield Hills, MI, a member of the Leadership 100 Executive Committee and Chairman of both the Membership Committee and Leadership 100 Sunday, and Nikiforos Valaskantjis of San Clemente, CA, a Leadership 100 member, in ceremonies on May 9, 2015 on Ellis Island.

Zampetis, retired president of Shiloh Industries, a supplier to automakers in North America, was instrumental in developing global expansion strategies with key automotive and appliance markets for the company, as well as maintaining relationships with business leaders throughout the world. He is Chairman of the Board of the TK Zampetis Family Foundation and an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Order of Saint Andrew.

Valaskantjis is a Real Estate and Restaurant Entrepreneur. His philanthropy includes hosting Kids ‘n’Cancer and support of Camp Agape embodying his belief that faith in God aided in his success, that the young are the future of the faith and that giving to the Church must be shown by example. He is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Order of Saint Andrew.

Zampetis and Valaskantjis were among 99 recipients at the ceremony. The 100th recipient was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, who could not attend and was awarded the Medal on April 17, 2105.

Ellis Island Medals of Honor are sponsored by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) and are presented annually to American citizens who have distinguished themselves within their own ethnic groups while exemplifying the values of the American way of life.

Past medalists have included six U.S. Presidents, one foreign president, Nobel Prize winners and leaders in industry, education, the arts, sports and government, as well as many members of Leadership 100, including its current Chairman, George S. Tsandikos, and Vice Chairman, Argyris Vassiliou.