Shipowner Nikolaos Tsakos from Chios was the honored guest at this year’s annual gala of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce (HACC) in the luxurious Rainbow Room located on the 65th floor of the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. The event was attended by distinguished guests, including the Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations, Ambassador Georgios Sekeris, and the Ambassador of Greece in Washington, Ms. Alexandra Papadopoulou, among others.
Hellenic News of America publisher and Hermes Expo president Paul Kotrotsios was also present at the event and had the opportunity to chat with old friends and associates.
Many distinguished personalities, including Senator Robert Menendez, Greek-American Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Archbishop Elpidophoros, sent their greetings to Mr. Tsakos in writing. Senator Leonidas Raptakis presented Mr. Tsakos with a Senate Citation on behalf of the State of Rhode Island.
Mr. Tsakos’s work and dedication to Greece were praised by the presidents of HACC, Mr. Clay Maitland and Athas Ioannou, while the president of Capital Link Nikolaos Bornozis highlighted Mr. Tsakos’ studies at Columbia University in New York, his idea on securing financing for shipping, which he put into practice during the establishment of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) in 1993, and his philanthropic work through his foundation which bears the name of his sister Maria.
In his own speech, Mr. Tsakos thanked his family for their contribution to his success and spoke passionately about the successes of many, which he attributes to the meeting of the American work ethic and the Greek spirit and the virtues of Greece.
After receiving the award, the event turned into a celebration with live music. Angeliki Psoni, the “official” singer of the evening, sang a selection of Greek songs. Later in the evening, the Greek singer Kostis Maraveyas, accompanied by his wife, the distinguished actress Tonia Sotiropoulou, sang many songs from various areas of the repertoire, and almost all the guests joined the dance floor.
