Colonel Vasileios Lampropoulos
Defense Attaché at the Embassy of Greece to the United States
COL. VASILEIOS LAMPROPOULOS graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy (SSE), in 1992 as an Armor Second Lieutenant. He has attended all required Armor Officer Training Courses, the Intelligence Analyst Basic Course, is a Hellenic Army Command and Staff College's (HACSC) and a Hellenic Supreme Joint War College (ADISPO) graduate. He obtained his Master of Arts in “Governance, Security and Development in the Mediterranean”, at the University of the Aegean and attended the NATO Defense College (NDC). Col. Lampropoulos obtained a second Master of Arts in “Applied Strategy and International Security”, at Plymouth University. He has had the following assignments throughout his career: 1988 – 1992 Cadet, Military Academy (SSE), 1992-1994 Platoon Leader, Armor Training Center and Trainee, Basic Armor Course, 1994 – 1996 Company Commander, 212th Medium Tank Battalion, 1996 – 1999 Instructor, Hellenic Military Academy (SSE), 1999 – 2001 Company Commander, 88th Medium Tank Battalion, 2001 – 2003 Company Commander, 5th Medium Tank Battalion, 2004 Student, Hellenic Army Command and Staff College's (HACSC), 2003 – 2005 Director, 3rd & 2nd Staff Office, 80th Medium Tank Battalion, 2005-2007 Deputy Commander, 80th Medium Tank Battalion, 2007 – 2013 Staff Officer, 2nd Section, Cavalry/Armor Directorate, Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS), 2013 – 2014 Student, Supreme Joint War College (ADISPO), 2014 – 2016 Commander, 395th Medium Tank Battalion, 30 August 2016 – 28 August 2018 Chief Section, 1st Section, Office of the Chief of the Hellenic Army, and 29 August 2018 – present maintained his post as the Defense & Military Attaché of the Embassy of Greece in Washington DC. Col. Lampropoulos is married with one son and speaks English, French and Italian. He has been awarded with all commendations and medals provided for his rank.
Emmanuel E. Velivasakis, PE, F.ASCE
Past President of the Pancretan Association of America and the World Council of Cretans
EMMANUEL (MANOLIS) VELIVASAKIS was born in Heraklion Crete, Greece, he came to the United States for studies at the City University of New York, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil/Structural Engineering. He practiced the Engineering profession around the World for 40+ years in New York City and had the opportunity to design some of the World’s tallest buildings and other prestigious structures, including: The Structural Design of St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero, the restoration of the US Capitol Dome, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Taipei Financial Center, in Taipei, Taiwan, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul and the Emergency Response at the World Trade Center disaster site after the 9/11/01 terrorist attack. He now teaches and mentors engineering students and occasionally consults with his colleagues on complex projects around the World. Has been extensively involved with the Omogenia, and he has served as President of the Pancretan Association of America, the World Council of Cretans and the Hellenic American National Council. He has been awarded numerous distinctions and awards, including: the Offikion of Archon Eftaxiasof the Great Church of Christ, the Gold Cross and Medal of the Order of Phoenix by the President of Greece, the Diamond Award, of the US Consulting Engineers Council for the Istanbul Airport Seismic Modernization project (2001), the Diamond Award, of the US Consulting Engineers Council for the Engineering Response Organized for the World Trade Center 9/11 disaster (2002), the City of New York Certificate of Appreciation and Medal for his service at Ground Zero, the Silver Medal of the Foundation for Research and Technology of Crete (FORTH) for his contributions towards the establishment of the Crete University Press, and the Gold Medal of the Polytechnic School of Crete for his support of the School’s Botanical Park. Manolis and his wife Orsa, with their children and grandchildren, depending on the season, live either in New York, Florida, or Crete, where he likes to tend to his olive grove, small vineyard, gardens, make wine and raki and to go boating with his friends.
NICK LARIGAKIS
PRESIDENT OF AHI
NICK LARIGAKIS has held different positions with the AHI since joining the organization in 1987. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the College of New Jersey, and did post graduate work in International Affairs at the American University in Washington, DC. For his work in support of Hellenism, Mr. Larigakis has been honored with the 1995 Hermes Expo International Award, the 2007 Hellenic News of America Award, the 2008 Society of the Argonauts Award, and by the Greek Independence Day Committee of Tarpon Springs, FL, where he served as Honorary Grand Marshall of the 2001 and 2009 parades. Other recognitions include an honorary award from the Hellenic National Defense General Staff. He is a member of AHEPA, and received the Inaugural AHEPA Outstanding Public Advocacy Award (April 2012). During the 2004 Olympic Games he served as a volunteer. In 2003, Mr. Larigakis was invested as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. As of the fall of 2013, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the American Community Schools of Athens and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation USA. In 2015, he received the St. Katherine Community Service Award in Falls Church, Virginia.