Pancretan Association of America - Pride and Excellence

PAA Gala- Pride and Excellence
By George Zorbas

At a tremendously successful black-tie gala event in New York on September 29, 2006 that attracted a veritable "Who's Who" of the Greek American community, diplomats, business and political leaders, the Pancretan Association of America (PAA) honored Former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and developer and philanthropist Angelo Tsakopoulos.

Mr. Mitsotakis, honorary New Democracy Party chairman, and Mr. Tsakopoulos, Sacramento region's largest land developer, were hailed as shining examples of commitment to excellence. Mr. Mitsotakis received the Eleftherios Venizelos Award, named after the Cretan statesman, for his significant contributions to public service, and Mr. Tsakopoulos received the Nikos Kazantzakis award, named after the renowned author and philosopher, for his contributions to arts and letters.

Awards Gala Chair Kostantinos Travayiakis welcomed over 800 people - Minister of Foreign Affairs Dora Bakoyannis, Greek American business and political leaders among them- to the Terrace on the Park in Queens, in an evening he described as magical and full of pride. Attendees included Ambassador of Greece to the United States Alexandros Mallias, Consul General in New York Catherine Boura, Congressional candidate Gus Bilirakis, Hellenic American National Council President Theodoros Spyropoulos and Drexel President Constantine Papadakis.

The evening included a press conference, cocktail reception and welcome remarks from Master of Ceremonies and Former PAA President George Chryssis and
PAA President Manolis Velivasakis

"Tonight," Mr. Velivasakis said, "in addition to our modest achievements we celebrate the tremendous contributions of two distinguished individuals who by their deeds epitomize our own beliefs for commitment to excellence. These awards are the highest honors and distinction that the Pancretan association can bestow on worthy and accomplished individuals."

Eleftherios Venizelos helped transform Greece in the 20th century through a combination of prudence, prescience and power during his four decades in politics. As early as 1910, he started to reorganize the economic, political and national affairs of Greece. Though his policies are considered visionary today, Venizelos was a divisive figure during his lifetime, provoking both love and hate from Greeks. Nikos Kazantzakis, novelist, playwright and journalist, was born in Iraklion in 1883. His masterpiece, translated as The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, consists of a monumental 33,333 verses and was completed in 1938. He also wrote novels, most notably the works translated as Zorba the Greek, Freedom and Death and The Last Temptation of Christ. His works are the external expression of an inward cry that seeks answers to the most profound questions of existence.

Secretary General of Crete Serafim Tsokas spoke of Crete today and in the future. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dora Bakoyannis, eldest daughter of Mr. Mitsotakis, described her father as an authentic Cretan who never compromised his faith in democracy, freedom and his vision for a powerful Greece. The minister described the other honoree, Angelo Tsakopoulos, as a rare human being, a modern Ulysses who contributes enormously, often discreetly and quietly, to the community and especially to academic institutions.

Introducing Mr. Tsakopoulos, Executive director of the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation and Former Ambassador Loucas Tsilas, praised his dedication and enthusiasm. "If we give an award to Angelo Tsakopoulos," Mr. Tsilas said, "if we speak about Angelo Tsakopoulos, we don't do it for him mainly, but we do it for us because he is a role model. We do it because we want to take strength from his passion, guidance from his unwavering commitment to the values of our heritage, to the promotion of good relations between Greece and the United States… He is a man who has enthusiasm, who has dedication but mainly who transforms all this into concrete actions."

Mr. Tsakopoulos accepted the award on behalf of, as his said, his extended family, members of which are "so enthusiastic about making not just this country, not just Greece but the whole world a better place for all of us to live". He concluded his speech by urging the crowd to support young people in politics. "I hope that you will encourage your sons and your daughters to follow the Mitsotakis legacy, to get involved in education and in politics, Mr. Tsakopoulos said. "Get involved, find out the names of these young people running for office, send them a check for ten dollars, whatever you can but get involved, that is the Greek way."

He invited his son in law Markos Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis to speak on behalf of the family.

"Kazantzakis is very important to our family, very important to my father in law," Mr. Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis said. "One of the first chairs that we established was the Kazantzakis chair at San Francisco State University. He counted Helen Kazantzakis as one of his friends and he is an avid reader of kazantzakis."

Mr. Tsakopoulos, a native of Greece who first came to the United States at the age of 15, has contributed millions of dollars to Democratic gubernatorial candidate in California Phil Angelides, a fellow Greek and a former colleague. He has also contributed to former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis and former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, among others. During the past 30 years, the Tsakopoulos family has also contributed millions of dollars to, among others, the Greek Orthodox Church, St. Hope Academy, the Roseville Arts Center, the Sacramento Tree Foundation and UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute for the study of neurological disorders. In 2004, Tsakopoulos' son, Kyriakos Tsakopoulos, presented a generous gift to Columbia University to establish the Kyriakos Tsakopoulos Chair in Hellenic Studies, in the Classics Department, as well as an annual lecture series entitled "Aristotle and the Moderns." In 2005, the Tsakopoulos family donated $2 million in honor of Mr. Mitsotakis to create a professorship in Stanford University's School of Humanities and Sciences, known as the Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Professorship in honor of Constantine Mitsotakis, to support the study of Greek ideas in contemporary society.

Ambassador of Greece to the United States Alexandros Mallias introduced Mr. Mitsotakis who expressed his gratitude for the award and welcomed the chance to meet again with his beloved Cretans, old friends, new ones and above all, the new generation.

"I am approaching the end satisfied", Mr. Mitsotakis said, "because I never abandoned a goal, I gave all I could give and I leave behind a family I am very proud of".

Born in Chania, Crete, in October 1918, a nephew of Cretan statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, Mr. Mitsotakis has been involved in Greece's politics for over 60 years. When he was first elected to Parliament in 1946, he was already well known as a leading member of the anti-Nazi resistance and had twice been sentenced to death by the Germans. During the 1950s and 1960s he was a member of the moderate Center parties. The most controversial point in his career was his decision to cross the floor in July 1965, when his defection helped bring down the centrist government of Georgios Papandreou, provoking decades of feuding with Papandreou's son, Andreas Papandreou. Mr. Mitsotakis was arrested when the military junta overthrew the Greek government in 1967, but escaped and spent several years in exile in Paris. He was elected to Parliament in 1977 and later joined the New Democracy party and in 1984 he was elected president of the party. In 1990, the party won the elections and formed the government. As prime minister, Mr. Mitsotakis led Greece's participation in the Gulf War, and pursued a policy of entrepreneurial expansion in the Balkan and Black Sea regions. In January 2004, he announced that he would not seek reelection to Parliament.

Congratulations to Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Tsakopoulos were sent by Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, U.S. President George Bush, Greek Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and New York Governor George Pataki among others.

The program concluded with keynote remarks by Mr. Andrew Manatos, president of Manatos & Manatos, who repeated Mr. Tsakopoulos' call for involvement in politics and support for Greek Americans who run for office.

Poetry reading and Cretan dances and music were provided for everyone's enjoyment.

A traditional dinner with Cretan food, drinks and live music was held the next night, Saturday, in honor of Mr. Mitsotakis at the Cretan House in Astoria.

Malista!