BEHRAKIS REPORTS DRAMATIC GROWTH TO LEADERSHIP 100 GENERAL ASSEMBLY

George D. Behrakis, in his last official act as Chairman, reported dramatic growth to the Leadership 100 General Assembly at today’s concluding session of the 17th Annual Conference in Palm Desert, California. “The Endowment Fund has exceeded its goal for 2007,” said Behrakis, “recruiting 68 new members for a total of 755, while fulfilled members hit a record of 344; contributions exceeded $4.3 million, the second highest figure historically and Endowment funds reached $67.8 million with total assets at $84 million.” “Grants distributed since the inception of Leadership 100 will exceed $25 million in 2008,” he concluded.

“Reaching these benchmarks positions us for the 25th Anniversary Fund goals - to reach 1,000 members, 500 fulfilled members, $100 million in endowment funds and annual grants of $5 million a year by 2009, our 25th Anniversary year,” said the outgoing Chairman. He challenged the more than 200 Leadership 100 members gathered to each bring in one new member. “If you do that, I will bring in 50 and we will reach our goal,” he said.

After showing a map of where Leadership 100 members were located, he pointed out that some states had no members or few for their size, such as Texas, exceeded by smaller states in population and other countries with members, such as Greece and Cyprus. He asked the newly elected Chairman, Stephen G. Yeonas of McLean, Virginia, to take up the challenge to build the organization, particularly in the American West

Behrakis introduced Michael Bapis, Chairman of the year-old Leadership100 Partners, young professionals who are able to join the organization at graduated levels of giving, applauding him for having reached 52 members. Bapis spoke of successful Leadership 100 Partners events in New York City, which he said would be replicated in major cities across the country.

Other reports included the Office Report given by Paulette Poulos, Executive Director (Interim), who was praised by Behrakis with organizing an effective national office that made the new growth possible. She received a standing ovation. Peter A. Vlachos, Chairman of the Investment Committee, gave the Investment Report, George E. Safiol, Chairman of the newly-formed Audit Committee and newly elected Treasurer of Leadership 100, gave the Audit Report, and Constantine G. Caras, outgoing Treasurer and newly-elected Vice Chairman, gave the Financial Report.

Peter M. Dion, a Leadership 100 founding Member and Chairman of the Nominating Committee, reported on the election to the Executive Committee of Chris W. Caras, Constantine G. Caras, Charles H. Cotros, Louis Nicozisis and George E. Safiol, introducing them to the Assembly. He also reported on the election of the new officers mentioned above, noting that Mark D. Stavropoulos would continue as Secretary. John A. Payiavlas, former Chairman of Leadership 100, gave the Membership Report, noting the forceful and effective leadership of Behrakis in achieving new growth. He said he anticipated an even more forceful thrust from the new Chairman who he said clearly would reach the 25th Anniversary Fund goals.

John Sitilides, Chairman of the Grant Committee, reported that continuing and new grants totaled $2.9 million in 2008, confirming the fact that Leadership100 by the end of the year will have distributed more than $25 million in grants advancing Orthodoxy and Hellenism since its inception in 1984, symbolic of its coming 25th Anniversary.

Prior to the meeting, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America gave a comprehensive lecture on the history of the Church from Pentecost to the Edict of Milan, when Christianity ceased to be persecuted and become the predominant religion in the Roman Empire.

Following the General Assembly, the Forum on Hellenism featured two lectures on Presenting Greek Art in America, in which Christine Kondoleon, George and Margo Behrakis Senior Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, presented the history of acquisition of ancient art n the United States that catapulted New York and Boston into leading museums. She revealed plans at the museum for 10 new galleries of Greek and Roman art, to be called the Behrakis Family Wing. Kenneth Dean Shapiro Lapatin, Associate Curator of the Department of Antiquities at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angles, told the fascinating story of J. Paul Getty’s acquisition of art after making his fortune in oil. “Getty believed that learning about art made people civilized,” said Lapatin. He described the building of the original museum, the only fullscale replica of a private Roman villa, as controversial in its day but having evolved into a major world center for the conservation of ancient art, the centerpiece of the Getty collection, which also included Old Master painting and French Decorative Art.

The 17th Annual Conference will conclude Saturday, February 16 with a special program featuring award-winning actress Jane Seymour, who will speak on the subject of the autobiographical Remarkable Changes: Turning Life’s Challenges into Opportunities, and the awarding of the Leadership 100 Award for Excellence to longtime members Theodore P. Angelopoulos and Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki for their historic roles in promoting Greece and Hellenic culture through the organization of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.