Congratulations to the New Executive Members of the HHF

We are pleased to share the names of our newly elected Executive Members who were announced at our recent Annual General Meeting (AGM):
President – Andy Seretis
Past President – Tony Lourakis
Treasurer – John Poulos
Secretary – Patty Keroglidis
Chair, Fundraising – Elias Demangos
Chair, Governance, Board & Membership Development – Kostas Kalogiros
Chair, Major Projects & Strategy – John Mavriyannakis
Chair, Endowments – Michael Lagopoulos
Chair, PR & Communications – Mary Heinmaa
Chair, Community Projects – John Papadakis

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Thank you to everyone who has dedicated their time and energy in support of our shared cause and mission to preserve and promote our Hellenic language, culture and heritage across Canada this past year. We are extremely grateful and thankful for you all.
A very special thanks to our outgoing President – Tony Lourakis who has dedicated the last six years as our President and who has made a tremendous impact on our community at large over that time. Tony will continue to serve on the HHF Board of Directors and Executive as Past President.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank and welcome our incoming President – Andy Seretis, who was also sworn in at the recent AGM.
Andy has served on the Board and the Executive for several years now as Chair of our Community Projects Committee and his father George Seretis is one of the founding members of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation. We are all very excited to have Andy take the helm and look forward to the many more great things we’ll be able to further accomplish under his leadership.

2023 HHF AGM – Incoming President’s Remarks

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Dear fellow directors and members of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation, I am truly honoured and humbled to serve as the next President of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation. The HHF holds a special place in my heart as I have been involved with the HHF since its inception as my father was one of the original founders of the organization. I volunteered at the early Galas and golf tournaments, and have attended them since thereafter, worked on revising the company’s by-laws and governing documents about 10 years ago, served on several committees over the years, and was excited to join the board over 6 years ago and then to act as the Chair of the Community Projects Committee for the last several years. I’d like to thank Tony for the nomination and for outstanding work he has done as President for the last 6 years. Under Tony’s leadership, the HHF has grown and excelled, and he is leaving the organization in a very strong position going forward. Thank you again Tony, and I take comfort knowing that you will continue to be involved with the HHF as past-President. I look forward to working with the board, executive and membership to continue the good and important work that the HHF does. The HHF is coming off a very successful Gala and has a lot of momentum going forward. I hope to keep that momentum and positive energy going and look forward to working with all of you to ensure that we continue to fulfil the HHF’s mission to preserve and promote Hellenic language, education, heritage and culture in Canada, and by finding new and exciting ways to fulfill that mission. We have a very talented roster of people at the HHF and I have no doubts that the HHF will continue to be a leading and flourishing organization will all of our efforts working together. Thank you again, Andy Seretis

2023 HHF AGM – President’s Report

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Dear Members and Directors,
What a sensational year it has been! Last year, we returned in person and this year, we have roared back stronger than ever before. Our gala, attended by over 1,000 people, shook the city with its grandeur and raised more than $500,000! A round of applause for our gala chair, Peter Eliopoulos, our managing director, George Keroglidis, and our dedicated gala committee for achieving what many considered impossible. Our fundraising events this past year have been nothing short of spectacular, marked by a very successful golf tournament last fall and a gala that has certainly etched its place in HHF history. But beyond our fundraising, we can be equally proud of our giving over the past year. A standout instance is our major donation of $500,000 to the University of Toronto. This endowment will fund an additional Greek-language course every semester, significantly expanding the capacity of Greek language studies at the University. Equally significant, we contributed over $50,000 to more than a dozen noteworthy community projects, including theatre productions, film festivals, textbook grants, and study programs in Greece. Kudos to you all – our board of directors, members, donors, and supporters – for making these remarkable achievements possible. Apart from our fundraising and donations, the aspect I am most proud of is the highly capable, engaged, passionate, and experienced board we have assembled. Reflecting on my remarks at last year's AGM, I had announced that this sixth year of my presidency would be my last. In the past year, I’ve dedicated time to succession planning, and it has become abundantly clear to me that continuously recruiting top talent is our most vital activity. It is what has propelled us to our current standing and will ensure our endurance for years to come. While I don't plan to leave the board soon, I urge everyone to always prioritize recruiting exceptional individuals into the Hellenic Heritage Foundation. Let's keep our standards high and our doors open. Remember, if you wish to go fast, go alone; but to go far, we must go together. In light of this, I am thrilled to announce that at the end of today's AGM, during our subsequent board meeting, I will be nominating Andy Seretis as the next President. Andy, with his long-standing dedication to the board and exceptional chairing of our Community Projects committee, is an obvious choice. His deep- rooted connection to the HHF, considering his late father, George Seretis, was one of our esteemed founding members, further solidifies his fit for the role. Please join me in welcoming our next president! To conclude, serving this remarkable organization as its president for the past six years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have gained far more than I could ever repay, and for that, I extend my deepest gratitude to each one of you.
Thank you,
Tony Lourakis President

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