AHEPA Member Dr. Nicholas V. Loutsion Receives 2026 Bouras Award

Volume 20, Issue 19 | Wednesday, October 21, 2026

AHEPA Member Dr. Nicholas V. Loutsion Receives 2026 Bouras Award

AHEPA member Dr. Nicholas V. Loutsion, of the AHEPA Canonsburg Chapter 156 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was honored on Friday, October 16, 2026, with the Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. The award was presented at the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's annual Bouras Award Dinner before an enthusiastic crowd in New York City. Dr. Loutsion, who serves as Archon Aktouarios, was recognized for his extraordinary stewardship in service to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. AHEPA Supreme President Chris Kaitson and members of the AHEPA delegation present for Archons weekend also attended the dinner in support of the honoree.

AHEPA Delegation Attends 40th Anniversary Athenagoras Human Rights Award Banquet; Cardinal Dolan Honored

AHEPA Supreme President Chris Kaitson led a delegation of AHEPA leaders to New York City for the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's annual banquet on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The evening marked the 40th anniversary of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award, established in 1986 to honor defenders of religious freedom and human dignity, and this year's honoree was His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York. Cardinal Dolan was recognized for his defense of religious freedom, including his service on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for Religious Liberty and the Justice Department's Religious Liberty Commission, as well as his friendship with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He joins a distinguished roster of past honorees that includes Archbishop Iakovos, President Jimmy Carter, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Mikhail Gorbachev. Joining Supreme President Kaitson in the AHEPA delegation were AHEPA Canada President Anastasios Moussas, Daughters of Penelope Grand President Antoinette Marousis Zachariades; Past Supreme Presidents Savas C. Tsivicos, Jimmy Kokotas, Andrew C. Zachariades, Carl Hollister, and George G. Horiates; Supreme Vice President Zenon Christodoulou; Supreme Secretary Themistocles Frangos; Past AHEPA Canada President Emmanuel Constas; Supreme Counselor Ted Stamas; Supreme Governor Asteris Fanikos as well as others. The 40th anniversary also coincides with the 60th anniversary year of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America.

AHEPA Attends National Hellenic Society's Heritage Weekend & Classic

Over the weekend of October 9-11, Supreme President Kaitson and AHEPA Executive Director attended the National Hellenic Society's Heritage Weekend and Classic held in Washington, DC. The centerpiece of the four-day gathering was the Excellence Awards Gala on Saturday evening, October 10, in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, which honored the Society's four founding figures — the "Four Georges": George Behrakis (Hellas Ch. 102, Lowell, MA), Dr. George Korkos (recognized posthumously, of Milwaukee Ch. 43, Milwaukee, WI), George Marcus (Silicon Valley Ch. 251, San Jose, CA), and George Stamas. Retired four-star U.S. Army General Andrew Poppas delivered the keynote address, with television journalist Vicki Liviakis serving as Master of Ceremonies. The weekend also featured a series of panels examining the influence of ancient Greek ideals on America's founding as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. "Salute to 250: America's Heroes" brought together Ambassador John Negroponte, Greek MP and former Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, film producer Sid Ganis, and Katherine Benvin Quinn, moderated by William Antholis of the Brookings Institution. A second discussion, "A Salute to America's Founding Philhellenes," featured Dr. C. L. Max Nikias, Seán Hemingway, Dr. Matthew Spalding, Dr. John McK. Camp II, and Deborah L. Wince-Smith. The weekend also included business sessions, a Friday evening glendi, and cultural excursions around Washington.

Supreme President Kaitson Applauds U.S. Senator Rick Scott for weekend's Turkey Statement

AHEPA Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson commends U.S. Senator Rick Scott for his statement this weekend regarding Turkey, in which he argues Ankara engages in "thuggish behavior" towards Greece and Cyprus. The Florida Senator went on to say, “You’re not acting like a NATO ally when you take F-16s and fly over somebody else’s country. You’re not much of an ally when you occupy a portion of another country’s land. And that’s what they’re doing.” These claims come ahead of decades of tension between Greece and Turkey -primarily the 50+ year Turkish occupation of Cyprus and additional territorial claims over the Aegean sea. Additionally, estimates from from the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA) have reported Turkey in violation of Greek airspace more than 13,000 times in the past five years alone. "This behavior is absolutely unacceptable from a country which claims to be a reliable NATO ally," said Kaitson, "AHEPA has stood beside Greece and Cyprus in the face of Turkish aggression for decades and we applaud Senator Scott for his recognition of this deplorable and adversarial behavior."

AHEPA Chapter 177 Welcomes Consul General of Greece in Seattle AHEPA Supreme President E. Chris Kaitson, joined by Supreme Governor Dr. George McClure, District 22 Governor Chris Saites, and fellow members of AHEPA Chapter 177, welcomed Mr. Grigorios Tassiopoulos, Consul General of Greece in San Francisco, during his visit to Seattle. Consul General Tassiopoulos is a career diplomat with more than two decades of experience. A graduate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the London School of Economics, he entered the Diplomatic Academy of the Hellenic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001, with postings that have included Greek embassies in Tehran, Havana, Jakarta, and Beijing, as well as service as Consul General in Guangzhou, China, and Mariupol, Ukraine. He assumed his current post in San Francisco in August 2024. The AHEPA delegation joined the Consul General at a welcoming dinner at Ivar's Salmon House on Lake Union alongside local Greek-American business and professional leaders. AHEPA Announces AHEPA's Month of Service

District 6 to host Regional Banquet

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Greek American News Digest  Editor's Note: Editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, and articles are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members U.S. Sen. Rick Scott meets with Greek leaders to discuss NATO security, energy cooperation Florida Voice (October 20)  U.S. Sen. Rick Scott met with Greek government and military leaders this week to discuss NATO security, energy cooperation and efforts to counter Russian aggression in Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean. The Florida Republican, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairs the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, met with Greek officials during a visit to Athens. Scott said Greece remains a key NATO ally and an important partner in advancing U.S. security and energy interests in Europe. read more Rubio: Greece deserves a strong US ambassador with Trump’s full confidence Neos Kosmos (October 19) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed that Greece deserves a strong American ambassador with direct access to President Donald Trump and his full confidence, dismissing suggestions that the change in leadership at the US Embassy in Athens represents a weakening of Greek-American relations. In an interview with Breitbart News journalist Matthew Boyle, Rubio described Greece as a key strategic ally in energy independence, regional stability and NATO, highlighting its potential to become a major energy production and transportation hub connecting Europe, Africa and the Middle East. read more US senator accuses Turkey of ‘thuggish behavior’ toward Greece and Cyprus Associated Press (October 17) Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott on Saturday accused Turkey of “thuggish behavior” toward Greece and Cyprus, delivering unusually blunt criticism of a NATO ally during visits to both countries. The Florida senator told The Associated Press that Turkey was “not acting like a NATO ally,” citing its airspace and maritime disputes with Greece and its continued military presence in northern Cyprus. The island has been divided since 1974. Scott’s comments come amid renewed tensions over a planned undersea electricity link between Greece and Cyprus, with a possible extension to Israel. Turkey says it should be consulted before seabed surveys proceed. read more Trump’s ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigns after allegations of improper conduct Associated Press (October 13) The White House publicly asked for U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s resignation on Tuesday as she faced mounting accusations of improper conduct, and she announced within two hours that she was quitting, ending days of talk and speculation about her professional fate. Guilfoyle insisted that she would “vigorously defend” herself. President Donald Trump’s administration had said earlier Tuesday it had asked Guilfoyle to leave her post after she faced severe criticism over allegations she engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. read more ‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her Amex Account Wall Street Journal (October 7) Kimberly Guilfoyle was preparing for her congressional hearing to become U.S. ambassador to Greece when she reached out to a Trump donor with an urgent request: She needed $100,000 that she said she owed American Express—in a way that wouldn’t leave a paper trail. “It won’t show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express,” she wrote on Signal, according to messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “Please.” read more CLICK HERE TO READ!