The Leadership 100 Executive Committee, meeting in New York on October 24, acted in response to the financial crisis gripping the nation and its effect on the organization by temporarily suspending its grant program as required by its regulations in order to preserve the more than $50 million of contributions held inviolate in the Endowment Fund.

The Executive Committee and Board of Trustees met at the Harvard Club in New York City October 24, 2008, to address the current financial crisis, review plans for the 25th Anniversary Celebration Conference to take place February 5-8, 2009 in Puerto Rico, to assess progress in the 25th Anniversary National Campaign and to elect members to the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees.

Leadership 100 members and prospects, 100 in all, celebrated at Kellari’s Parea in the Gramercy Park section of New York City on Friday, October 24, as eight new members joined the organization, putting the 25th Anniversary National Campaign at 50 new members, culminating in a series of membership recruitment meetings in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Boston. Peter J. Pappas, Membership Chairman for the Direct Archdiocesan District and co-owner of the restaurant with James, George and Peter Pantelidis, served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Timothy J. Maniatis, well-known member of Leadership 100 who has organized its conferences for more than a decade, organized a luncheon in the Plaza Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton-Washington as the first Leadership 100 Regional Fellowship gathering for the purpose of affording Leadership 100 members an opportunity to become better acquainted.

Peter Karagines, a US Navy veteran of both World War II and Korea, who with his best friend built up the country’s largest operators of food catering trucks and vending machines in Southern California, has made an extraordinary gift to Leadership 100 by pledging to fulfill the memberships of both Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco and Bishop Athimos. Peter and his wife, Thelma, are fulfilled members and have belonged to Leadership 100 since 1996. He is an Archon “Maestro” of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a recipient of the Patriarchal Cross and Medal of the Holy Sepulcher of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Leadership 100 members make their initial gifts, continue their payments and fulfill their pledges in a variety of ways, directly by check or credit card, through stock and even life insurance or, through investment vehicles that otherwise manage their money. A leading proponent of the last method is none other than the Leadership 100 Treasurer, George E. Safiol, who has established the George E. Safiol Foundation, a donor-advised fund, with Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.

Cretan’s Association “Omonoia's”, in celebration of its 90th anniversary, honored Dr. Nick and Nancy Vidalakis, members of Leadership 100, for their philanthropic and humanitarian work and in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of the Cretan and Hellenic cultures, at its annual dinner-dance on Saturday October 18, 2008 at the “Cretan House” in Astoria.