NHS Heritage America Program Launches successfully

WASHINGTON - The NHS and Manatos & Manatos, a leading government relations and advocacy firm, collaborated to develop the NHS Heritage America Program -- an experiential odyssey connecting Greek-American college students to their Hellenic roots, heritage and culture within the context and resources Washington, DC has to offer.  This past weekend, selected candidates met a who's-who of Greek-American decision makers, business leaders and other important contacts who will serve as future mentors and career guides for Heritage America alumni.

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NHS Program Director Fanis Economides commended Andy & Mike Manatos for their ideas, implementation & in leveraging their contact base in collaboration with the NHS to coordinating meetings with a “Who’s Who” of Washington.  The individuals the students met eagerly passed on inspiring stories and advice about what it takes to succeed in their careers and lives and the importance Hellenic heritage plays in shaping their respective careers.   NHS chapters will adapt & tailor the Heritage America Program and duplicate this success at the local level.  The Program’s impact is substantial and long-term. 

Over the course of the four day program, students had the opportunity to meet with an extraordinary roster of important Greek Americans and to visit Washington’s epic landmarks.  The students were actually in the White House West Wing at the very moment the military coup in Turkey began and witnessed top White House National Security staff rushing to the White House Situation Room.  The students participated in an exclusive tour of the US Capitol Building highlighting the influence of Constantino Brumidi, and learned about the Greek influence on other Washington DC landmarks by George Washington University Associate Professor Diane Cline, Ph.D.  The students visited The Greeks exhibit at the National Geographic museum, hosted by National Geographic's Vice President of Exhibitions, Kathryn Keane and were able to take a sneak peek at the NHS & National Geographic collaborative "Greek Guide to Greatness" digital series.  Other notable tours included Major League Baseball's iconic Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, Harvard University Center for Hellenic Studies, Republican National Committee headquarters, the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s office and Operations Center, and the Voice of America, with live TV & radio broadcasts worldwide.

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Heritage America Photo Galleries

Photos from Day 1
Photos from Day 2
Photos from Day 3
Photos from Day 4
Best of Heritage America Photos

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The Who's Who of outstanding Hellenes with whom the students met in four short days is as follows:

Cabinet Secretaries and Party Heads: 

• Former Nominee for President of the United States and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis (via Skype)
• Our country’s first US Director of National Intelligence and former Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte
• Office of US Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell
• Office of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus

 
Individual meetings with Members of Congress:

• Highest Ranking Woman in US History, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Former Senate Banking Committee Chairman, Senator Paul Sarbanes
• Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
• Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD)
• Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV)
• Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA)

 
Senior White House and Administration Officials:

• White House Communications Director and former State Department Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki
• White House Business Director Diana Doukas
• Former chief speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, Paul Glastris
• Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Spyridon Pope
• Health and Human Services Policy Coordinator for the Secretary, Dr. Ekaterini Malliou

 
Senior US Congress Staff:

• Superintendent of the United States Senate Office Buildings, Takis Tzamaras
• Chief of Staff for Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Elizabeth Hittos
• Chief of Staff for Congressman David Cicilline, Peter Karafotas
• Former Chief of Staff for Senator Paul Sarbanes, Peter Marudas

 
Prominent Lobbyists and Attorneys:

• Prominent lobbyist and attorney Manny Rouvelas
• Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and prominent lobbyist Andy Manatos
• K&L Gates Partner Stavroula Lambrakopoulos
• Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ VP for Governmental Affairs, Jennifer Poulakidas
• Spotify’s Vice President of Government Relations, Tom Manatos
• Manatos & Manatos Senior Vice President, Mike Manatos

 
Ambassadors:

• Ambassador of Greece to the United States Haris Lalacos
• Ambassador of Cyprus to the United States Leonidas Pantelides

 
Media:

• Washington Monthly Editor in Chief Paul Glastris
• Fox 5 News Anchor and Reporter Laura Evans Manatos

 
Academicians:

• One of the country’s best experts on the history of Greek-America, Haverford Professor Alexander Kitroeff

 
Prominent Businessmen:

• WWII Veteran and Real Estate Developer Jimmy Moshovitis
• Baltimore Orioles COO, EVP and Partner John Angelos

 
Heads of National Greek-American Organizations

• National Hellenic Society (NHS) Executive Director, Art Dimopoulos
• AHEPA Executive Director, Basil Mossaidis
• American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President, Nick Larigakis
• National Hellenic Museum President Laura Calamos Nassir (via Skype)
• Hellenic American Women’s Council (HAWC) Vice President and Gen Counsel Maria Stamoulas
• Washington Oxi Day Foundation President, Andy Manatos