On January 26, 2022, by unanimous vote, Artemis “Tami” Demetris Tsingiropoulos was re-elected as President of the Greek American Heritage Society of Philadelphia (GAHSP). Her executive board had also been re-elected to their positions, including:

  • Desanne Grigos Nazirides, Vice-President
  • Chris Kotsakis, Secretary
  • Despina Boston, Treasurer, and Chairperson of the Board
  • Constantinos Mitoulis, Assistant Treasurer
  • Eleftherios Kostans, Assistant Secretary and Public and Media Relations

The newly re-elected officers and board members plan a fantastic and full year ahead. With the President’s leadership, GAHSP continues its meteoric rise as the premier Greek-American organization/museum in the Philadelphia area and Delaware Valley. Some ongoing projects are continuing and new projects are being introduced:

  • GAHSP’s most important project is the film documentary, “In Support of Liberty – Philadelphia and the Greek War of Independence,” written and directed by Eleftherios Kostans. This film tells the little-known story of the Philadelphia Philhellenes, who in 1827, formed the Greek Committee and raised thousands of dollars to assist the Greeks in their struggle for independence from the Ottoman Turks. This unique documentary is a story that needs to be told and preserved.
  • The President had formed the Historical Marker Committee, with the assistance of Kostis Kourelis, Ph.D., a faculty member at Franklin & Marshall College. This year, an application will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for a historical marker to be placed at 10th and Locust Streets, Philadelphia, commemorating Greektown and the start of the Greek community in our area.
  • The Interview Series, where individual stories of the community are filmed, documented, and preserved, has now reached over seventy interviews, and the new LOGIA Project being chaired by Dr. Elias Iliadis, is being launched this year.
  • A major, long-term project began in earnest during the President’s previous term and is the main focus of the purpose for GAHSP. Work on developing the archives received a jump-start with the addition of librarian and archivist, Rachael Reitano, who is assisting in developing the new archives for the preservation and access of the thousands of photographs, videos, and other documents of the Greek-American community.
  • The 6th Annual Photo-Tour, “Greek Diners and Restaurants – The Start of the American Dream,” which was postponed for COVID, is now scheduled for the fall, of 2022. We honor the history of the Greek-owned diner and restaurants, the families that operated them, the food, the atmosphere, and their importance to the community.

Upon her re-election, President Tsingiropoulos stated, “Thank you for re-electing me as President. I am happy to serve this organization and what it stands for as well as its mission. I am grateful to all the officers and board members who help make this organization unique and stand out from the others, something I am sure we are all proud of. I will continue to serve the position with pride, and always with the organization’s best interest in mind. Here’s to a productive and successful year ahead for our beloved Greek American Heritage Society.”