Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his Greek Heritage and Culture Celebration at City Hall on Tuesday, March 28, 2006. Pictured (back, l to r) are: Steven Gounardes, D.D.S., President- Elect of New York State Dental Association, and President of St. Basil Academy of Garrison, NY; Tasso Manessis, Co-Chair of the Greek Independence Day Parade 2006 and Former President of Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York; Reverend Dimitrios Antokas, Executive Director of Leadership 100; Comptroller Thompson; New York City Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Jr.; Maestro Dino Anagnost, Music Director of The Little Orchestra Society of New York, Dean of Music of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, and Conductor of the Metropolitan Singers/The Greek Choral Society; Maria Koleva, Director of The Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir; (front, l to r) are: Yvette Manessis Corporon, Emmy Award-winning Television Writer and Producer; Katherine Boulukos, Vice President of Greek American Women's Network; and, Haeda Mihaltses, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the Mayor of New York City.
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Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. honored four city leaders at his annual Greek Heritage and Culture Celebration on Tuesday, March 28, 2006. The event was co-sponsored with the Greek American Women's Network, the New York City Council, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Jr . 

Addressing several hundred people at City Hall, Thompson said: "Today, New York City is home to the largest Greek population anywhere outside of Greece . And every year, Greek Americans play increasingly prominent roles in the life of our city. In business, growing numbers of Greek Americans serve as leaders, playing key roles in New York 's economic life. Teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, doctors - Greek Americans are leaders in a wide range of professions.  And from Astoria to smaller Greek American communities elsewhere in the five boroughs, Greek Americans are keeping cultural traditions alive, teaching children about the history, language, and customs of Greece ."

Thompson continued: " Tonight, we are paying tribute to this rich heritage and we are honoring a distinguished group of Greek Americans who are all achievers in their fields.  They have provided outstanding leadership in the past and the present, and they are all an important part of our future."

The first award went to Maestro Dino Anagnost, musical director and conductor of the Little Orchestra Society, founder of Metropolitan Singers/the Greek Choral Society, and dean of music at the Greek Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.  Through the Little Orchestra Society's Happy Concerts for Young People series, Anagnost has shared the joy of classical music with more than one million schoolchildren. He also founded the orchestra's Chance for Children project, a program that provides free concert tickets to children in underserved communities. For adult audiences, Anagnost created Sound Discoveries, a Lincoln Center series dedicated to the music of the 20 th and 21 st centuries.

Thompson presented Maestro Anagnost with an award, "In recognition of his outstanding achievements and his tremendous musical and civic leadership. "

Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer Yvette Manessis Corporan was the second honoree of the evening.  Ms. Corporan currently writes and produces for the syndicated entertainment show, EXTRA. She is also the co-creator of Role Mommy, an online community and lifestyle brand for working mothers.  Corporan has appeared on numerous television programs offering advice to working mothers, and she leads the popular "I Need a Playdate" lecture series for mothers at the Children's Museum of Manhattan .

"Over the course of her distinguished career in broadcasting, Ms. Corporan has excelled in her field and served as an important role model," said the Comptroller, presenting the award "in recognition of her dedication to her profession and her outstanding achievements."

Dr. Steven Gounardes received the next award.  Dr. Gounardes is president-elect of the New York State Dental Association, which represents 13,000 dentists throughout the state.  He is past president of the Second District Dental Society, which covers Brooklyn and Staten Island , has served on the State Association Board of Governors and Executive Committee, and is a delegate to the American Dental Association. Currently, Dr. Gounardes serves as Vice Chairman of the Greater New York Dental Meeting. He is active in the Greek community as well, having served for more than nine years as president of the Board of Directors of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church. He served on the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College, and since 1997, he has been President of Saint Basil Academy in Garrison , New York .

Thompson praised Dr. Gounardes for " his dynamic leadership and outstanding achievements."

The fourth and final honoree of the evening was Haeda Mihaltses, director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for Mayor Bloomberg. In that capacity, Mihaltses coordinates the City's interaction with City, State, and Federal legislative offices, as well as other elected officials. She also serves as the Mayor's representative to the Queens Public Library.  Ms. Mihaltses previously served as Director of the City Council Finance Division under former City Speaker Peter Vallone. Ms. Mihaltses is involved in a wide variety of community organizations. She is Chairperson of the William Spyropoulos Greek American Day School in Flushing , and has served on the Executive Board of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Queens College , and has been a lecturer in the Urban Studies Department there.

"Ms. Mihaltses has made tremendous contributions to the life of our city, bringing dedication to her work in government, and making tremendous contributions to numerous civic organizations," the Comptroller said.

The Archdiocesan Metropolitan Youth Choir provided the entertainment portion of the evening.

Contact Marla Maritzer at (212) 669-2597 or mmaritz@comptroller.nyc.gov to receive photographs.

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