Athens Mayor Bakoyannis To Be Honored by Daughters of Penelope



	Athens Mayor Bakoyannis To Be Honored by Daughters of Penelope
WASHINGTON-The Honorable Dora Bakoyannis, mayor of Athens, Greece, is the 2006 Daughters of Penelope "Salute to Women" Honoree, announced Salute to Women Chairman and Past Grand President Evellyn Tsiadis and Grand President Dr. Mary Filou. The mayor will receive her honor on Sat. March 11, 2006, 2 pm at a reception held at the Embassy of Greece, Washington. "In selecting Mayor Bakoyannis, we honor a woman who has made an impact on the world," Tsiadis said. "She has reached great heights in her career and is respected as a leader with the will to formulate policies that positively affect global issues. "We are truly honored. She has proved many times that she lives up to her slogan, 'I will do my best.'" According to Tsiadis, the purpose of this award is to recognize a woman who has achieved a level of excellence in her field of endeavor and who contributes by making a difference in people's lives. Ms. Bakoyannis is the first woman elected mayor of Athens in its 3,500-year history. In 2005, the international community awarded her the World Mayor Award. She received worldwide recognition with the successful staging of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, setting a new standard for security measures. Her leadership in transforming Athens to maintain the ancient legacy of the Games while incorporating modern conveniences impressed her supporters, her opponents and spectators throughout the world. Her welcoming remarks at the Opening Ceremony set the tone for the venue. "Her fight against terrorism is another of her achievements that we applaud," said Dr. Filou. "She was relentless in seeing November 17 brought to justice." Ms. Bakoyannis' first husband, Pavlos Bakoyannis, a Member of Parliament, was assassinated by November 17 in 1989. Moreover, she survived an assassination attempt on her own life in 2002 shortly after being elected mayor. As the daughter of a Prime Minister, she became aware of the needs of the people of Greece at an early age. After her husband's tragic death, she took over his seat in Parliament in an overwhelming election that revealed the strength and spirit of a great leader, said Dr. Filou. In 1998, Ms. Bakoyannis married businessman Isidorous Kouvelous. She has two children from her first marriage. Previous recipients of the "Salute to Women" Awardees include: Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, Helen Thomas, former dean of The White House Press Corps; former Under Secretary of the Navy Barbara Spyridon Pope, CBS Anchorwoman Thalia Assuras, and Penelope House Executive Director Kathryn Coumanis, among others.
HCS readers can view other articles and releases about the Daughters of Penelope or other auxiliary organizations of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) at our extensive permanent archives at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/archiveahepa.html. Established in 1929, The Daughters of Penelope is the women’s organization of the AHEPA Family (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) with Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and is a leader in philanthropic, educational and cultural activities with over 350 chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece and Cyprus, and Australia. Each chapter of the Daughters of Penelope makes a difference in its community by devoting countless hours to volunteer work in hospitals, retirement homes, women’s centers and daycare centers; and by organizing educational seminars, helping the less fortunate, supporting their local church and making monetary contributions to local charities and scholarship funds. For more information about the Daughters of Penelope, contact headquarters in Washington, DC: 1909 Q Street, N.W. , Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009, USA T.: 202.232.6300 F.: 202.232.2140 E-Mail: ahepa@ahepa.org Web: http://www.ahepa.org

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