Our Mission Statement: ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values.
Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically – to thrive as responsible global citizens.
It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you to this momentous celebration of 80 remarkable years of ACS Athens—a legacy built by visionaries, educators, and students who dared to dream big, push boundaries, and redefine excellence in education.
As we celebrate our community of students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, professionals, friends and business partners, we are reminded of the transformative power of education and the belief that every student can excel when provided with the right tools, support, and opportunities. This commitment has been the cornerstone of our journey, and it fuels our dedication to empowering every learner who walks through our doors.
Tonight, as we recognize our outstanding alumni, distinguished speakers, and honored guests, we celebrate a rich history of innovation, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. This event is a testament to our commitment to nurturing compassionate, critical thinkers—Conscious Global Citizens who are ready to tackle the challenges of our rapidly evolving world and triumph.
Thank you for joining us on this special occasion. Together, let us honor our past, celebrate our present, and ignite the future, ensuring that ACS Athens continues to empower every learner to reach their highest potential.
Peggy Pelonis, Ed.D. President
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Community Schools (ACS Athens), I would like to wish you a Happy New Year as we proudly celebrate the school’s 80th anniversary! Founded in 1945 by the British military forces and transformed under the U.S. Marshall Plan in 1947, ACS Athens has grown into a premier international institution rooted in American educational philosophy, standards and values and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA).
ACS Athens consists of three schools - Kindergarten and Elementary, Middle School, and the Academy - each one geared to develop every child’s unique potential. Staying true to the ACS Athens Mission and Vision, each of these three schools provide a holistic educational experience for all students, allowing them to flourish in a myriad of ways. Our Academy program offerings are diverse and cover the students’ needs allowing them to secure an American high school diploma, an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, and a Greek high school equivalency diploma. Our students leave ACS Athens with all the tools necessary to succeed in university and beyond, thereby becoming future leaders and citizens of the world.
Beyond academics, the school offers a wide range of extracurricular and athletic programs, including Model United Nations, Forensics, Student Council, various clubs, and competitive sports at both domestic and international levels.
I would like to congratulate the ACS Athens President, faculty, staff and professionals for their leadership, excellence, educational and athletic expertise, innovation, hard work, commitment, and organizational skills in transforming the school over the years to the distinguished institution we all enjoy today.
As we look at 2025 and beyond, the school continues to provide an excellent educational experience for all students, challenging them to realize their unique potential academically, intellectually, socially, and ethically – thriving as responsible global citizens.
Happy 80th Anniversary ACS Athens!
Pascal Apostolides Chairperson, ACS Athens Board of Trustees
Mr. Pascal Apostolides, Chairperson
Mr. Tim Ananiadis, Vice Chairperson
Mr. Suheil Sabbagh, Honorary Chairperson
Mr. Iraklis Prokopakis, Treasurer
Ms. Eleni Aravanis, Secretary (Class of ’83)
Ms. Kristin Roberts, Member
Mr. Constantine Stergides, Member
Ms. Areti Alafogiannis, Member
Mr. Nicholas T. Gialamas, US Trustee
Mr. Artie Gyftopoulos, US Trustee (Class of ‘81)
Ms. Irene Hayes Christodoulou (Class of ‘73)
Dr. Anastasios Kaburakis, US Trustee
Ms. Yanjing Winnie Liu, Member
Mr. Demetri Paneras, US Trustee
Mr. George A. Sifakis, US Trustee
Ms. Tina Stathopoulou Kanellou, Member
Ms. Amanda VanderStelt, Member
Mr. Mark Wolper, Member (Class of ‘79)
7:00 p.m. Welcome Drink at Royal Room
Courtesy of Hotel Grande Bretagne
Silent Auction Opens in the Royal Room (closes at 11:30 p.m.)
8:00 p.m. Proceed to the Ballroom
Raffle tickets offered by ACS Athens students throughout the evening (7:00 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.)
8:10 p.m.
8:20 p.m.
8:30 p.m.
Dr. Peggy Pelonis
President, ACS Athens
Mr. Pascal Apostolides
Chairperson, ACS Athens Board of Trustees
Ms. Maria dG Olson
Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Athens
Master of Ceremonies: Yanna Darilis
Yanna Darilis is a dynamic television host, media executive, and producer with extensive experience in broadcasting as an on-camera talent, producer, director, and writer.
8:40 p.m.
8:50 p.m.
Mr. Alexander Payne Award-Winning Film Director & Screenwriter. Special Guest.
Musical Performances by ACS Athens Students
9:00 p.m. Dinner is Served
9:30 p.m.
9:50 p.m.
10:15 p.m.
Dr. Scott Parazynski
Former NASA Astronaut & CEO of Onward Air • (First Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient in 2017). Keynote Speaker.
Alumni Achievement Awards & Honoree Recognition
Musical Performances by ACS Athens Students
10:45 p.m. Closing Remarks
11:00 p.m.
11:30 p.m.
Dance Floor Opens with DJ Jimmy Kiritsis (Class of '84) Silent Auction Closing Announcement
Silent Auction Closes
The grandson of Greek immigrants, Alexander Payne grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and studied history and literature at Stanford University before earning a master’s degree in film directing at UCLA.
The eight feature comedies he has directed and co-written have been nominated for 24 Oscars, including four times for Best Picture and three times for Best Director. He has won two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay -- Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011) -- and his latest, The Holdovers, won Best Supporting Actress just last year.
Most importantly, he is the proud father of Despina Payne, currently in second grade at ACS Athens.
Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, bestselling author and tech CEO. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he trained for a career in emergency medicine and trauma. In 1992 he joined NASA's Astronaut Corps and eventually flew five Space Shuttle missions and conducted seven spacewalks.
Inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016, he is the first astronaut to have also summited Mount Everest. A prolific inventor, he is Founder and CEO of OnwardAir, focused on the development of revolutionary electric aircraft augmented with advanced control systems. Additionally, he serves on the Boards of several innovative tech companies.
Recognizing an alumnus whose accomplishments in the public, private or non-profit sector made an outstanding contribution to the community and served as an example both professionally and ethically.
Recognizing an alumnus who shows promise in their field by providing inspiration and leadership to students and other young alumni, and shows significant leadership either in their professional career and/or community, public and humanitarian service.
Charles Eliot was born in Greece in 1957 to archaeologist parents. His formative years were split between Canada, where his parents taught at the University of British Columbia, and Greece. From 1971 to 1974, Charles and his siblings attended ACS Athens while their father, Willie Eliot, was Professor of Archaeology at the American School of Classical Studies. Starting in 1972, his mother, Mary Eliot, taught at ACS Athens and founded the much-loved Humanities program.
After graduating from ACS Athens in 1974, Charles took a year off to study classical guitar before attending MIT as an undergraduate, where he earned a degree in Chemistry with a focus on Physical Chemistry. In 1979, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Oxford University for three years, working on nuclear magnetic resonance studies of water phenomena in biological systems.
In 1982, Charles entered the world of micro-computers, building up his computer skills and working on various innovative applications over the next decade. In 1992, he returned to North America and began a 25-year career at Microsoft, where he held various roles, including program manager for the Microsoft Exchange team and release manager for the Microsoft CRM product. He later managed parts of the engineering system for the Windows team and ran the Skype engineering system in Europe. After leaving Microsoft in 2017, Charles worked for a start-up and then moved to the Institute for Disease Modeling at The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the software engineering organization until his retirement in 2025.
Georgios Petropoulos has served with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs since 2012. In January 2024 he was appointed as the head for UNOCHA’s Gaza office. Prior to this he served as UNOCHA’s Head of Office in Libya, and Deputy Head of Office for the Yemen, Syria and Iraq offices. In these posts, he has been responsible for the office’s work in humanitarian coordination and planning, civil-military coordination, negotiation with parties to conflicts, and humanitarian advocacy and policy.
He has worked in the field of humanitarian affairs and response for more than two decades, including roles with the United Nations, and several international NGOs including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Action Against Hunger and Médecins du Monde. He has been involved primarily in complex conflict responses in Eastern Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as a number of roles in the Middle East.
A national of Greece, he holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution. He lives in Amman, Jordan with his wife and daughter.
Mark Wolper (Class of '79)
The Wolper Organization, led by Mark Wolper, has produced over 500 films, earning more than 150 awards, including two Oscars, 50 Emmys, and seven Golden Globes. With retrospectives at Cannes and Sundance, the company has been a major force in film and television. Mark has been a partner at Warner Bros. for over 35 years, shaping high-profile projects such as L.A. Confidential, Murder in the First, and the Emmynominated series Bates Motel and Salem’s Lot movie for MAX with James Wan.
A veteran filmmaker with over 37 years of experience, Mark has produced acclaimed works like The Mists of Avalon, The Thorn Birds, and the Emmy-nominated Roots remake. His recent projects include The Bad Seed and its sequel, as well as an upcoming Thorn Birds remake for Netflix and a modern take on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. He began his career in 1981, working with major studios like Warner Bros., MGM, and Disney before taking sole leadership of The Wolper Organization in 2006.
Silent Auction Listings & Guidelines can be found on the tables in the ballroom.
ACS Athens
ACS Athens Athletics
ACS Athens Institute
AEK FC
Ananiadis Family
AnnieP
Athens Capital
Mia Bassatne
Halid Chrisinas
Cosmote
Elixir Boutique Cruises
Ero Lex
Farida El Gazzar -
Courtesy of the artist & Kalfayan Galleries
Maria Giannaki
Ada Gianneskis
Jenny Grigoropoulou
Grosvenor House - Dubai
GSA
Hotel Grande Bretagne
Hotel King George
Hotel Prince De Galles
Hyatt Regency
Thessaloniki
Konstantino Jewelry
Liang Dongmei
LT - LIM Transport
Antina Makris
Joanne Massios
Mideast
Nanobionic
New Hotel Athens
Nolita
Nous Santorini
Pagoni Maison Des Cravates
Parilio
Alexia Peza
Raya Hideaways
Skampavia Family
Skylines Tourism
Enterprises Ltd
Solon Evaggelou
Travellair - Courtesy of
ACS Athens PTO
Leda Tsoukia
Vedema Luxury Resort
Santorini
Westin Resort Costa
Navarino
Mark Wolper
Vivian Zotalis
Raffle tickets will be offered/sold throughout dinner by our student assistants, the more tickets you acquire, the more chances you have to win some of our fantastic prizes!
Limited number of tickets available, so get yours early!
One ticket for €5.00 / Package of five tickets for €20.00
Collect your prizes at the Prize Claim table.
ACS Athens Athletic Department
ACS Athens Development Committee
ACS Athens Office of Development
ACS Athens PTO
Active
Angelos Bissias Pharmacy
Athens Direct
BYTE
Cocoon Urban Spa
Domenika Konstantinidi
Doudessis Hair
Mariam Elgabry
Fairy Nails
Generali
Giacomo - Courtesy of Ms. Elpida Stasinopoulou
Ada Gianneskis
Gruppo Espresso
Hard Rock Cafe
Hide & Seek
Infinitum
La Lupa Designs
Antina Makris
Ariadni Mitreli Masmanidi
Kelly Mitropoulos
Mondelez
Monzu
Mylaundry
New Hotel Athens
Nolita
Marianna Pagoni Moda
Pandora Bethea
Chris Perakis
Plaisio
Prime Entertainment
Robinson C.E.
Seventeen
Lydia Skampavia
Georgia Solomos
Sunlounge
The Gem Society Hotel & Spa
The Sparks Sports &Social
Tsigaridis S.A.
Vivian Zotalis
ACS Athens and the Global Alumni Community would like to thank all patrons and sponsors of this celebration of excellence for their generous support.
Maria Katsiavria
ACS Athens PTO
Metro One Insurance
Proelectro Event Production
Tina Stathopoulou Kanellou
Student Assistants:
Sotiris Athanasopoulos
Aristides Bakamitsos
Evgenia Bakamitsos
Athanasios Beligiannis
Amaryllis Christou
Michael Chryssos
Ruihan Karl Cui
Shaya Ehteshamzad
Sofia Floriou
Oskar Geyr
Dimitris Kanellos
Alexander Sinan Kocahan
Gerasimos Kouroupos
Ilianna Lyssaios
Alexandros V. Machairas
Theodora Margoni
Niovi Papakosta
Avra Petrou
Daphne Raptis
Filippos Solomos
Ioannis Zakynthinakis
Aristides Bakamitsos
Evangelia Papaspyratou
Evgenia Bakamitsos
Avra Petrou
Gala Organizing Committee:
Jennifer Ananiadis
Dimitri Grant
Erika Hooker
Maria Katsiavria
Belina Korovessis
Helen Maravegias
Vivien Panagou Geyr
Chris Perakis
Lydia Skampavia
Development Committee:
Eleni Aravanis
Annie Constantinides
Ada Gianneskis
Erika Hooker
Helen Maravegias
Joanne Massios
Mary Papachristou
Dr. Peter C. Papageorgiou
Chris Perakis
Lydia Skampavia
Tina Stathopoulou Kanellou
Carla Tanas
Spiros Vangelatos
Awards Selection Committee:
Dora Andrikopoulos
Eleni Aravanis
Artie Gyftopoulos
Belina Korovessis
Hercules Lianos
Helen Maravegias
John Pazartzis
Evelyn Pittas
Supporting Teams:
ACS Athens Global
Accounting Department
Business Office
Communications Department
Media Studio
Maintenance Department IT Department
Pavlos Vasileiadis
Connecting Alumni and Friends of the American Community Schools of Athens all over the world!
Join the ACS Athens Global Alumni Platform by accessing the following link: www.acsathensglobal.org
Photographs taken this evening by Giorgos Mestousis and Dimitri Sfaellos will be uploaded to the ACS Athens website: www.acs.gr
Please tag #ACSAthensGala to your personal postings and tweets for all to follow!
Proceeds from this event will go towards renovating the Theater at ACS Athens. Thank you for your support!
SPONSORS
Stelios & Alina Ioannou
SILVER SPONSORS
Mashukov Family
BRONZE SPONSORS
Varelas Family
Faris Family
Geyr Family Prokopakis Family
