BOSTON – The delegates of the 97^th Convention of the Order of AHEPA in Chicago elected unanimously George G. Horiates, Esq., of Moorestown, N.J. to be their new Supreme President. Horiates, 52, ran unopposed in elections that were held July 5. Formal installation ceremonies were held July 6.

In his inaugural remarks, Supreme President Horiates paid tribute to our community’s immigrant forebears, including his own who came to the United States as survivors of World War II, stating that “the Greek-American community has an obligation to preserve and project its Hellenic heritage to ensure its survives for future generations”.

The new Supreme President, who is a member of Chapter 69, Camden, N.J., also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the delegates for entrusting him to lead the Order into the start of the next decade.  He stated he is looking forward to working with the Brotherhood as “One AHEPA.”

Moreover, Horiates articulated an overarching goal of reinvigorating AHEPA’s base while continuing outreach to the community. In doing so, he has set the ambitious goal of increasing membership collectively between all four Orders of the AHEPA Family to 100,000.

The AHEPA Supreme Lodge is the international governing body of the organization.

The Executive Committee of the 2019-20 Supreme Lodge is comprised of: Canadian President Christos Argiriou, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Supreme Vice President Jimmy Kokotas, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Supreme Secretary James Stasios, Wilmington, N.C.; Supreme Treasurer Savas Tsivicos, Wayside, N.J.; and Supreme Counselor Louis G. Atsaves, Esq., Lake Forest, Ill.

During the exclusive interview he gave to The National Herald Horiates was asked how he felt about his election. “It is very humbling,” he said. “We love what the AHEPA represents, its values, its history, its family and the great list of things that AHEPA has done for Hellenism for 97 years, like the programs that has established. These days AHEPA continues its mission as is the case in Thessaloniki, the Greek Relief for Fires program, and the Odyssey Charter School in Delaware. Most recently we went to Capitol Hill and to the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity were His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros recognized AHEPA as defenders of Orthodoxy and Hellenism.”

Regarding the recent Convention he said “we had, combined, approximately five hundred delegates and about five thousand people here. The Order of AHEPA itself had 240 delegates and 40 observers representing 180 chapters.”

Asked what the Convention achieved, Horiates said, “The first and foremost thing was the rededication to rebuilding and improving upon membership, the goal of one hundred thousand members. Within three years we are going to have the centennial of AHEPA and the bicentennial of Greece. Now that the world recognizes that Turkey is not a reliable ally of the United States and with what is going on regarding Cyprus and Macedonia, with the Pontian Genocide not recognized by its perpetrators, we are awaking up as the Greeks of Diaspora and we are recruiting members among Hellenes and Philhellenes because if we don’t do it, who will do it? All of the Hellenes throughout the world [should] join AHEPA because we are the defenders of Hellenism. We will go to Capitol Hill and let the world know we are AHEPA. He must let the world know about all the wonderful programs and to let the world and its leaders know that we are the defenders of Hellenism.”

When he was asked about the new Archbishop, Elpidophoros, he said “The Archbishop was sent by God and will be with us every step of the way and more importantly we will be with him every step of the way to ignite the flame not only of Orthodoxy, but the flame that [unites] the Church and Greeks nationwide and in fact worldwide. The Order of AHEPA is one hundred present behind him, we accept him not only as the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, but we accept him as the representative of Hellenism and Orthodoxy.”