NEW YORK – With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is pleased to announce that George M. Marcus, Archon Exarchos, will receive the 2023 Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. The award will be presented on Friday, October 20, 2023, at the Bouras Award Dinner during the Order’s annual Archon Weekend in New York City.

Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Order, said, “Wherever the Greek Orthodox Church in America is present, Archon George M. Marcus can be found. He is involved in an extraordinary range of foundations, organizations, and institutions in the Church and the Greek community. Throughout his distinguished life of service, he has exemplified what it means to be an Archon, a true son of our Holy Mother Church in Constantinople.”

Marcus’ broad range of commitments to the Orthodox Church and the Hellenic community includes memberships on the boards of directors of the Modern Greek Studies Foundation, the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and Elios Society of Northern California. He is also dedicated to Leadership 100.

Furthermore, he is the Founder and serves as the Chairman of the National Hellenic Society, which brings together distinguished Greek-Americans on a national level to preserve their heritage. He also spearheaded efforts to rebuild the Church of Panagia of Pera, the Cathedral Church of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome. In 1978, a catastrophic fire broke out in this historic church, severely damaging the building. Since then, no renovation or restoration work had taken place until Archon Marcus donated $500,000 for the church’s renovation, which was originally built in 1804.

Marcus is a Trustee Emeritus of California State University and a Regent Emeritus of the University of California. In 2018, The George and Judy Marcus Funds for Excellence in the Liberal Arts were established at San Francisco State University, which includes the George and Judy Marcus Awards for Faculty and Student Research. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Presidio Trust.

Born as George Mathew Moutsanas in 1941 in Limni, on the island of Euboea, he immigrated to the United States in 1945. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA degree in Economics, adopted the name George M. Marcus, was honored as Alumnus of the Millennium in 1999, and received an honorary doctorate in 2011. He made his mark in business, founding G.M. Marcus & Company, which evolved into Marcus & Millichap Company, where he still serves as Chairman.

Marcus is the majority owner of two renowned Greek restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area; Kokkari in San Francisco and Evvia in Palo Alto. In 2014, Marcus participated in the White House Greek Independence Day celebration, where the authentic cuisine of his restaurants was served. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden were in attendance.

He was invested as an Archon on February 24, 1991, and conferred with the offikion Exarchos. He is also a fulfilled FOUNDER of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Foundation.

The National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew unanimously voted in 2010 to establish the Nicholas J. Bouras Award. The Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary and incomparable stewardship to the Order, empowering Archons to vigorously pursue securing religious freedom for the Mother Church of Constantinople.

The Award is named after the late National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, who demonstrated remarkable leadership as a faithful son of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and an exemplary steward of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Nicholas J. Bouras was a churchman, World War II hero, devoted husband to his beloved late wife Anna, philanthropist, sincere Christian, Archon par excellence, and industrialist.

Past recipients of the Award include George D. Behrakis (2011), James C. Fountas and John Halecky, Jr. (2012), Stephen J. Yallourakis, MD, DDS (2013), Christopher Stratakis, Esq. (2014), the Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas (2015), Theofanis V. Economidis (2016), John A. Catsimatidis (2017), George E. Safiol (2018), John S. Zavitsanos (2019), and Michael G. Psaros (2022).