NEW YORK – The Hellenic American Association for Professionals in Finance (HABA) held its Members-Only Holiday Soiree on December 6 at the Yale Club in Manhattan. The festive event featured wine and hors d’oeuvres for the members of the organization in celebration of the holiday season. Among those present, the HABA Officers: President Fanny Trataros, Vice President Robert Savage, Treasurer Costas Kellas, and Secretary Sophia Prountzos, as well as HABA Directors Emmanuel Caravanos, James P. Gerkis, and Demetri Papacostas.

HABA Vice President Robert Savage gave the welcoming remarks and introduced President Fanny Trataros who he noted “has been a great leader of this organization for the last three years and I have a lot of respect for what she’s done for this group.” Trataros wished everyone happy holidays and also mentioned that it was St. Nicholas’ feast day and offered her best wishes to those celebrating their name day. She thanked everyone present for attending the event, HABA’s first winter soiree, and then spoke about the organization.

“If we want to walk fast, we walk alone, if we want to walk far, we all walk together, and that has been HABA’s theme through my presidency,” Trataros said, adding that “HABA supports all or most of the Greek organizations, the professional organizations, the philanthropic organizations, we try to help each other out and walk far together.”

She continued, “Together we can support each other and go beyond and even further than we thought we could. I want to thank especially the HABA members for coming and supporting us and being a very strong organization.”

Trataros then thanked the Hellenic Lawyers Association (HLA) and its 2^nd Vice President George Zapantis and former President Peter Metis “for being a very supportive partner with us for many years and hopefully many more years to come.”

She also pointed out the next event for the organization, the upcoming Vasilopita in January with all of the Greek and Cypriot professional organizations participating.

Also present were Hellenic Film Society USA founder James Demetro, Press Attache for the Press and Communication Office of the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations Dora Trogadi, and TNH contributor Vasilis Voultsos.

TNH Contributor Vasilis Voultsos, Press Attache for the Press and Communication Office of the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN Dora Trogadi, and the Hellenic Lawyers Association’s Peter Metis and George Zapantis were among those present. Photo by Eleni Sakellis