By Terry Poulos, Special to the Hellenic News of America
UHVA CROSS-PARTY LEADERS: Against the front-entrance backdrop of a photo of former US President Ronald Reagan standing with Greek community leaders, the United Hellenic Voters of America (UHVA) opened its 51st annual gala October 19 at the Fountain Blue Banquet & Conference Center just outside Chicago. The UHVA was established in 1974, the year Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus, as a non-partisan coalition.
The UHVA is the brainchild of Dr. Dimitrios G. Kyriazopoulos, M. Ed and MS in Mathematics. His calculus involved fostering dialogue and cooperation among Democrats, Republicans and independents, improving US domestic and foreign standing, supporting Greek American candidates, introducing non-Greek officials and educating them on various Hellenic-related issues, emphasizing local elections which have the most immediate impact on our lives, and encouraging electoral participation.
The Reagan imagery was a suitable reminder of efforts toward one America. A Republican who exuded class and dignity and often reached across party lines on domestic issues, Reagan in his 1984 reelection bid carried 49 of 50 states and secured nearly 60% of the popular vote, solid cross-party support. Ever since, political bifurcation (near 50-50 vote splits) gradually became the norm and gripped an increasingly divided America. Simultaneously, voter turnout reached new record lows. With that, organizations like the UHVA are even more vital to not only Greeks, but to the melting pot of America in general.
True to the Reagan example, this year’s UHVA gala witnessed a pleasant and productive intermingling among various political interests. For the overwhelming majority of the night, little if any partisan discourse surfaced, and participants engaged in polite, earnest relationship-building. Much of the time was spent celebrating the accomplishments of special guests who were being recognized.
The 2025 UHVA gala was spearheaded by UHVA National Chair Kiki Stamatiou Whitehead. Emcee was UHVA board member John Giokaris. This year’s UHVA “person of the year” is State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D:Evanston), currently serving as Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives. Also attending the festivities was Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes, a friend of the Greeks who frequents legal and political events within our community.
The four special guests being recognized as “most distinguished Greek Americans” were: Tassos Group CEO/President Tassos Chronopoulos; Boys & Girls Club of Chicago CEO/President Susanna Wickham; Dr. Dino Samartzis of Rush University Medical Center’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the International Spine Research & Innovation Institute; and new-media influencer Yanni Dimoulis. Offering extemporaneous remarks about the honorees was Eleni Boussis, a well-known philanthropist in the Greek community and beyond.
To learn more about the organization, visit UHVA.org.
GIANNOULIAS MEETS POPE: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this Summer joined a delegation of Illinois labor officials who met with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The Pope is a native Chicagoan and avid White Sox fan who once attended a World Series game when the Sox won it in 2005. Perhaps there were a few commonalities when Giannoulias met the Pope. While serving as state Treasurer, Giannoulias once threw out the first pitch at White Sox Greek night. He’s also a former college basketball star who graduated from Chicago’s Latin School. He also learned a little Latin as all attorneys must during law school.
PAPPAS MEETS PATRIARCH: Chicago Greek pols have been covering all the religious bases. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas in early November covered our own Greek Orthodox leadership with a private audience with the His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. In a social media post, Pappas shared that the meeting took place in Bucharest, Romania and was arranged by Father Michael Karloutsos, a longtime bridge between the church, civic and business communities. Incidentally, this columnist ran into the Treasurer at the August Greekfest on Halsted Street and she was emphatic that she’s “definitely” running for Chicago mayor.
CONWAY MEETS POPE: PPP (politician, Patriarch, Pope) is the recurring theme of 2025 for Chicago’s elected Hellenes. This Summer, Chicago Alderman William “Elias” Conway completed the Greek trifecta when he and a contingent of business leaders gained audience with Pope Leo. Conway, an Irish Greek Catholic, currently holds the office of alderman of the newly re-drawn ward that encompasses both Greektown and Little Italy. His grandmother’s maiden name is Bousalis. Conway, a former assistant states’ attorney, proudly boasts of his multi-ethnic heritage and with his wife being Italian, his kids cover the gamut of Chicago’s rich ethnic tapestry.
LEGAL LEDGER: In January, former judge and longtime assistant states’ attorney Anna Helen Demacopoulos assumed the role of First Assistant Cook County States’ Attorney to help with the transition of newly elected States’ Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke. In August, Demacopoulos returned to private practice after helping stabilize the office under new leadership…Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tom Sianis, yet another former assistant states’ attorney, was this year’s recipient of the Presidential Recognition Award bestowed by the Illinois Judges Foundation…Attorney Mark Hassakis received the 2025 Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois Bar Foundation…General counsel Georgia Vlamis of USG was part of a recent panel discussion featuring top legal minds in a presentation hosted by business journal Crain’s Chicago Business. The topic was “advising leadership through uncertainty”…In early November, the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois hosted its 75th annual scholarship ball, a sold-out affair.
Until next…
Terry Poulos is a writer, entrepreneur (TheSportsIndex.com), and geometer-artist (Scientiquity.com) who has also covered Greek America for decades for various outlets. He’s co-founder of Chicago’s Greek Media Club and a member of the AHEPA Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee
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