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Name: Deanna Hano
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of Chicago
About Deanna:
Deanna hails from the
northern suburbs of Chicago and is a pre-medical student at Northwestern
University majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minoring in
Global Health. She regularly attends St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in
Chicago, the same church her family has attended for over 60 years. Deanna
leads an extremely busy and unique lifestyle- she does research in the fields
of molecular biology and autism, she is president of the Hellenic Student Union
at Northwestern, she performs in dance productions on campus, she frequently
travels back to her high school to nostalgically choreograph and teach
competition routines to her old dance team, and somehow manages to sprinkle in
some intense schoolwork here and there. She enjoys making no-budget music
videos with her friends to songs like “Bye Bye Bye” and “What Makes You
Beautiful,” going on long runs and then getting lost, not sleeping, and
consuming any and every food that has garlic in it. She truly cherishes the
wonderful memories that she acquired as a regular camper and two-year counselor
at Fanari Camp, and cannot wait to experience Ionian Village this summer and
share her love, devotion, smile, and dance moves with the rest of the Ionian
Village family. Let the fun begin!
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Name: Yianni Magoulias
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Yianni:
Yianni Magoulias is in his
fourth and final year studying Classics (with an emphasis in ancient Greek
culture) and History on the beach! Yes, the BEACH! His school, the
University of California, Santa Barbara, is conveniently located between the
Pacific Ocean and a beautiful backdrop of mountains on the coast of southern
California. Not only has Yianni been
studying the historical and cultural importances of various cities like ancient
Athens and Olympia, he has visited Greece many times with family and
friends. Outside of his classes at UCSB, Yianni is a tour guide for potential and transferring students. A HUGE sports fan, Yianni loves playing
everything from football to futbol, but one of his specialties is tossing a
Frisbee on the beach!
Since he could walk, Yianni has
participated in Greek folk dancing with his church in Modesto, California. For the past sixteen years, he has competed
in the Metropolis of San Francisco’s Greek Folk Dance Festival (FDF). He has personally have done research in various
regions of Greece, including Crete, Thrace, and, most recently, Pontos. Within the Metropolis, Yianni has also held
positions in the H.O.P.E., J.O.Y., and G.O.Y.A. youth ministries, as well as
participated in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival.
Yianni cannot express in words
how excited he is for Ionian Village this summer! He has visited the camp in past years, and
this will be his first year as a staff member. He is looking forward to sharing his energy with the campers, as well as his love and passion for Greek culture and Orthodox faith. So cheers to the
best summer of our lives!!
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Name: Alexis Baker
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of New Jersey
About Alexis:
Also known as Lex or Lexy,
Alexis hails from Richmond, VA having just graduated from Virginia Tech (GO
HOKIES) with a degree in Theatre Arts & Cinema. As a lover of the theatre,
Alexis has been on a few episodes of “Smash" (well, in the background),
played Cosette from “Les Miserables" (back in high school), and even been
a female Hamlet (it was very avant-garde). Currently living in New York City to
pursue acting, her main goal is to help New Yorkers understand that a real Gyro
is not one you get from the street Halal carts.
Based on several online quizzes,
Alexis is a member of House Baratheon, most like Princess Mulan, would be
sorted into Hufflepuff, and has a spirit animal of a wolf. Though this is her
first summer going to the Ionian Village, she has had her brother,
sister-in-law, God brother, many cousins, GOYA friends, and most likely unmet
distant relatives pass through IV in the past few years. She is BEYOND excited
for this amazing journey and can't wait to meet all of the staff and campers
soon!
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Name: Demetrios Cokinos
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of Denver
About Demetrios:
Demetrios Cokinos first experienced Ionian Village as a camper in
2005, and returned for a second year in 2006. When asked, he says his
inspiration for becoming a counselor came on his first trip to Zakinthos when
he first laid eyes on the Loggerhead Turtles and the way they magnificently
breached for air. Or...maybe it was writing funny skits at camp, seeing the
relics of St. Dionysius, or witnessing Father Evagoras fall madly in love with
his wife, Presbytera Maria — either way, Demetrios believes that Ionian Village
provides faith and inspiration for a lifetime to all who attend.
Demetrios was born in Houston, Texas, and attended Annunciation
Orthodox School and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral where he actively
participated in the altar, Greek Festival, and GOYA. He learned about the
Ionian Village program through his IV alumni mom, aunts and uncle — and enjoyed
spending the summer there. In addition to attending Ionian Village, Demetrios
spent ten summers traveling to different parts of Greece with his cousins who
live in Athens.
Demetrios is completing his junior year at Northwestern University,
duel majoring in Radio, Television and Film, and English Literature. He aspires
to become a writer and director for television and film. Demetrios is very
involved at Northwestern: he is currently producing "Dillo Day," one
of the nation's largest student-produced music festivals, featuring five
musical acts. Most recently, he completed a work study program as a full-time
Production Assistant for NBC's TV sitcom 30 ROCK. He loved being a part
of the show's final season and learning about the creative professionalism of
the television industry.
Demetrios is the son of Paige and Ellen Cokinos and has a sister,
Alexandra, who is a senior in high school at The Kinkaid School of Houston. He
is close to all of his 30 first cousins and enjoys all "big fat
Greek" traditions.
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Name: Kyra Limberakis
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of New Jersey
About Kyra:
Kyra Limberakis is from
Philadelphia, PA and cannot wait to start the most epic summer of her
life!! While she wishes camp could be all year round, she has spent the past
four years attending Villanova University studying Communication and Theology
and has loved every minute of it...go Wildcats! Starting in the fall, Kyra will
be attending Boston College to receive a Masters of Theological Studies.
Some fast facts about Kyra include: SHE LOVES CAMP, she loves to sing (especially in her
all-female a cappella group, Nothing But Treble), she does mission/volunteer work
any chance she gets, she is extremely passionate about her Orthodox faith, and her
family means to world to her. Camp counseling is one of Kyra's favorite things
to do and she feels so blessed to be able to return to Ionian Village as a
counselor after having been a camper twice. She is ready to "drop her
cool card" and get to camp so she can serve God, her campers, and the rest of
the 2013 staff!
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Name: Cali Pantazis
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Cali:
Cali Pantazis is a native
New Yorker who has grown up a part of the St. Nicholas parish in Flushing. She
will be graduating from NYU this May with a degree in Math Education and plans
on teaching middle school or high school students this September. Cali fell in
love with Ionian Village in the summer of 2008, and since then she has been
serving at Camp Saint Paul as a counselor from 2009-2011 and in 2012 she was
given the honor of being the Activities Director. Cali is extremely excited to
be returning to Ionian Village and to share her love of Greece, the Orthodox
faith, and her love of pi (and other desserts too) with all of the campers she
meets.
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Name: Katherine Palamara
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Katherine:
Katherine can’t wait to spend another incredible summer at
Ionian Village! She was born and raised
in New York City and thinks there’s no better place to live. She studies Business Administration at
Fordham University and will be graduating this coming May. She has been a GOYA advisor at her home
parish of St. Nicholas in Flushing for four years, where she also won three
basketball championships (woot woot!) Having
spent three years serving as a staff member at The Direct Archdiocesan
District, Camp Saint Paul, she is beyond excited to serve now at the camp that changed
her life in 2008. After attending IV as
a camper, Katherine realized the blessing of this unbelievable camping ministry
and is looking forward to contributing to the experience!
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Name: Niko Gerassimakis
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of New Jersey
About Niko:
Niko is a third year student at the University of Delaware
studying engineering. He LOVES camp and
can’t wait to take his talents to the Ionian Beach. He is an alumnus of this wonderful program and
left his cool card at IV in the summer of 2010. Niko enjoys snowboarding, playing lacrosse, soccer, and football. He accepts all challengers in chess or tavli,
but don’t count on beating this Kalymnian in either. Niko spent years camping at
Camp Nazareth and the past two years counseling at both Camp Naz and Camp Good
Shepherd and Can. Not. Wait. to spend this summer counseling at the camp across
the pond.
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Name: Nick Tsagalakis
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Nick:
Nick was
born and raised in the great Pacific Northwest, Seattle. He is a recent graduate from the
University of Washington with a major in Communication. He has an
incredible passion for working with kids and plans to become a Marriage and
Family Counselor (after he travels extensively throughout the world).
Nick is a PK and grateful for his loving and supportive family.
He served on the 2011 Ionian
Village staff and cannot wait return to DJ pool parties with ‘Nani Niko’ and explore
our rich Orthodox Christian faith. Prior to his Ionian Village
experience, Nick served 6 summers at Camp Agape, serving families with children
battling cancer. His passions include, golf, skiing, scuba diving, and meeting
great people!
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Name: Antonia Kocolas
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Antonia:
Antonia is a native
of Modesto, California and has attended the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
since her birth. While growing up, Antonia was very active in JOY, GOYA, Jr.
Choir, church baking, and Greek dancing. She still loves to Greek dance and has
continued directing for many years.
Antonia graduated with a
Bachelors in Liberal Studies and went on to earn a Multiple Subjects teaching
credential. Currently, she is attending graduate school and is finishing up her
Masters in Elementary Education this May! With this education, Antonia is currently
in her sixth year as an elementary school teacher, where she has been teaching
fourth grade the last three years.
Antonia has a great love of
her culture and faith. She is looking forward to having a wonderful experience
with fellow counselors and campers this summer!
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Name: Sebastian Skordallos
Department: Music and Greek Culture
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Sebastian:
Sebastian was born and raised in the state of Tennessee. He very much looks
forward to taking a leading and active role at IV13 and hopes to share this
exciting and once in a lifetime opportunity with everyone at the camp! He is a
nationally certified pharmacy technician and currently employed at Rite Aid
Pharmacy in Manchester, Tennessee. Sebastian has been accepted into the Lipscomb
College of Pharmacy in Nashville, Tennessee which he will be attending a few
weeks after camp and he is honored to spend his last few days of summer with
everyone at IV. Sebastian has
spent about 5 months on vacations to Greece and every single time he goes he has a
new and fantastic experience. Sebastian predicts this camp will provide the same type of in-depth cultural experience as well as lasting
memories that only a journey to Greece to attend IV can provide. He
looks forward to helping make this a cultural as well as religious experience of
a life time!
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Name: Christopher Palamara
Department: Arts & Crafts
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Christopher:
Christopher grew up in Queens, New York. He is a
23 year old student at Hellenic College studying Business Management.
Christopher has been working in youth ministry for the past six years as a camp
counselor at the Direct Archdiocesan District camp, Camp Saint Paul, and as
a GOYA adviser at his home parish, St. Nicholas in Flushing. He
had the privilege of serving as a staff member at Ionian Village last
year, and could not be more excited to be returning this summer. Christopher sees
this summer not only as an opportunity to help his campers to grow in their
faith, but also as an opportunity to grow in his own faith. Christopher looks forward to
meeting each and every one of the campers this summer! Ionian Village 2013!
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Name: Sophie Burge
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Sophie:
Words really can't
describe just how excited Sophie is to be on staff this summer! She was a
camper at IV in 2008 and has been looking forward to coming back to her IV home
and family ever since. Sophie is from Birmingham, Alabama, graduated from
Auburn University (War Eagle!) last May with a degree in Nutrition and
Dietetics. She is currently doing a Dietetic Internship and working on a
Masters in Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Sophie loves making new friends, cooking and eating, music and dancing,
traveling, and just life in general! Sophie is honored to be a part of
the staff this summer and cannot wait to meet everyone and share this
experience together. It is going to be awesome!
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Name: Bess Asimos
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Bess:
Bess is SO excited to spend
her summer at Ionian Village! Bess is from Charlotte, North Carolina and where
she attends St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church. She currently lives in Chapel
Hill, NC, where she is a student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill studying Spanish and Biology. As a camper in 2008, Bess’s favorite
activities were breaking it down in the amphitheater for any and all nighttime
activities, swimming in the beautiful Ionian Sea, and eating Kyria Sophia’s
spanakopita. She is excited to get the opportunity to do all these activities
again, and more! In the US, Bess enjoys biking, watching football (go
Panthers!) and basketball (go Tarheels!), and painting. Bess is counting down
the days to IV 2013 and began packing the day she found out she was going to be
spending her summer there! She cannot wait to meet everyone and is sure that
this summer with be unforgettable!
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Name: Antigone Kithas
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Antigone:
Antigone is a senior
at the University of Utah. She is majoring in English and minoring in Chemistry
and hopes to be a pediatrician one day. Antigone attended Ionian Village as a
camper in 2008, and she loved her experience at the camp so much that she
couldn't wait to come back again as a counselor! She has always been very
active in her church community and currently serves as a Church School teacher
and choir member. Antigone has a lot of energy and a great sense of humor, and
she cannot wait for this summer.
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Name: Arielle Kontoes
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Arielle:
Arielle is 23 years
old and is from Atlanta, Georgia. She is an elementary school assistant teacher
at the Annunciation Day School at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the
Annunciation. Arielle graduated in May of 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree of
Social Work from Georgia State University. When Arielle is not in the classroom
teaching, she is working on her masters in early childhood education from the
University of Phoenix. In Arielle’s free time, she enjoys being a GOYA advisor,
running in endless circles around her neighborhood, and secretly watching Mary
Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. She also enjoys collecting different colors of
nail polish, eating spoonfuls of feta, and seeing how many Mega Stuffed Oreos she
can fit into her mouth at once. Arielle’s passion is to educate and inspire the
youth by following their dreams and to never give up. Arielle attended Ionian
Village as a camper in 2008, and is so excited to share her love and
inspiration to the campers at Ionian Village this summer!
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Name: Peyton Miller
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Peyton:
Peyton
was born and raised in Matthews, North Carolina, but currently lives in the
beautiful mountain town of Boone where she is pursuing a double major in
English and Philosophy at Appalachian State University (go ‘neers!). She grew
up within the wonderful community of St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in
Charlotte. Peyton has spent every summer since the age of seven as a camper of
one kind or another, including three weeks backpacking, rock climbing,
whitewater rafting and sea kayaking in the Pacific Northwest. She got a chance
to share all her camp experience in 2010 when she worked for eleven weeks as a
counselor at YMCA Camp Greenville in Cedar Mountain, NC, leading off-site
adventures and teaching kayaking. Peyton attended Ionian Village as a camper in
2006 and has been anxiously awaiting her chance to return ever since! Since
then, she has been fortunate enough to study abroad in Florence, Italy for a
semester and travel throughout central Europe. When she’s not daydreaming about
being a counselor at IV, she enjoys reading, writing, hiking, kayaking, cooking
and going on adventures. Peyton is looking forward to being a part of the life-changing
experience that will be Ionian Village Summer 2013!
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Name: Nina Rizos
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About Nina:
Nina will reply to
Neens, Niner, Buck 25, and Mashoogana. She is entering her senior year at Penn
State University earning her degree in Journalism while also minoring in
English and Sociology. She wishes “Impromptu Dancing to 80’s Music” was a
career path she could follow, but instead she plans on working with do-good
organizations or the Church! She has never been to IV but plans on sporting her
carefully chosen tacky-T’s all summer and making sure everyone has a permanent
smile on their face around camp! She has spent the last two summers counseling
at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA but decided this year, she needs to expand her
audience for corny jokes across the ocean.
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Name: Anthony Balouris
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About Anthony:
Anthony is
extremely excited to be returning to Ionian Village after four years and to
experience camp from a new perspective. After having a wonderful experience in
2009, he has been going through withdrawal ever since so he decided to sign up
to counsel. Anthony grew up in Pittsburgh, belonging to Holy Trinity, but has
spent the past four years on the opposite side of the state at Drexel
University. There, he majored in Political Science and minored in Greek
Studies. A lover of family, sports, and politics (in that order), Anthony is
excited to take what he has learned counseling at Camp Nazareth in Mercer, PA
for the past 3 years and apply it to IV. See you this summer!
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Name: Victoria Garos
Department: Arts & Crafts
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Victoria:
Victoria is so excited to
spend the summer with our campers as a counselor in the breathtaking country in which
our beautiful culture originated. She has been excited for this opportunity for
four years in fact. Her experience as a camper at Ionian Village in 2009 has
kept her longing to go back and give others the experience that she had.
Victoria attends the
University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and will graduate with a
Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science this May. Her passion is not politics
however. Her career goal for the future is to work for an international
humanitarian non-profit organization. She would love to work in a rural area
and provide for people who live in less fortunate parts of the world. In the
meantime, her days are filled with (endless hours of) schoolwork, soccer,
spending time with friends, and staying active in her church community.
Though Victoria's
semesters at school are exciting and fun, her favorite time of the year is the
summer. At St.Stephen’s Greek Orthodox Summer Camp, she can truly escape the
stresses of a fast paced world and enjoy my Orthodox Faith to the fullest with
the people she loves, a very similar experience she had at Ionian Village as a
camper in 2009. As a camper at Ionian Village and a camper, counselor, and then
Assistance Director at St.Stephen’s, she was blessed with life-long friendships,
continued education of our Orthodox Faith, and a level of spiritual growth that
has kept her focused on our Lord and continues to guide her.
Although Victoria is very
much looking forward to the excessive amounts of Greek food, kalamatianos, and
downright silliness at Ionian Village this summer, what she is looking forward to
the most is adding to her spiritual experiences and most importantly providing
our campers with a safe environment in which they can have fun and spiritually
grow simultaneously. This summer cannot arrive soon enough!
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Name: Alexis Imprescia
Department: Arts & Crafts
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Alexis:
Alexis is a born and
raised New Yorker currently working as a CPA at Americas most prestigious
accounting firm Ernst & Young, LLP. When she isn't working Alexis enjoys
spending time with her friends and family, shopping (she loves a pump with a
red bottom) and cooking meals from both her Italian and Greek roots. Alexis has
spent numerous summers working in church youth programs including project
Mexico and Camp Saint Paul. She currently attend St. Peter in the Bronx, where
Fr. Evagoras is the presiding priest. She is very excited for her first Ionian
Village experience and getting to make sure the camper all have THE BEST SUMMER
OF THIER LIVES!!!!!!!
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Name: Markella Mallas
Department: Arts & Crafts
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Markella:
Markella was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended and graduated from the Greek elementary school, Sotirios
Ellenas Parochial School and the Christian high school, Bishop Kearney.
Markella, following in her parents’ footsteps, attends church weekly with her
family. She continued her learning of the Greek Orthodox faith in college at
St. John’s University where she took classes dedicated to the faiths’ beliefs,
customs and traditions. Markella is also the President of the Youth of Dafnonas
Chios Society, a non-profit organization. With the society, she raises money
and donates to those in need.
During
her summers, Markella spent time in Greece and Jamesport, Long Island. With her
cousins, she used her spare time on the beach, fishing and sitting around
bonfires making s’mores. Markella loves to dance and pull pranks on those close
to her. She can make any situation or surrounding a fun time (ask her cousins).
Throughout
her life, Markella has been an active practitioner of the Orthodox faith. She
travelled throughout Greece and America with her family, visiting different
monasteries and thus strengthening her Greek Orthodox faith.
Markella
is excited and feels blessed to be a part of the Ionian Village family this
coming summer. She will use this opportunity to share and spread her knowledge
of the faith to the young campers.
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Name: Elias Mavromatis
Department: Athletics
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Elias:
Elias
can’t wait to be a part of the best summer of your lives! He is 22 years old and
currently a senior in college studying Business Information Technology at
Virginia Tech and by this summer, he will have graduated!
Born and bred in the great
state of Maryland, Elias naturally played the best sport known to man, lacrosse but he loves any and all sports! He does consider Greek dancing a sport, by the way, so he loves that too! Elias' athletic resume is quite impressive; he played on the 2004
Greek Euro-cup Championship team (yes, at the age of 14), was the starting
quarterback for the Hokies for three years, once stuffed Shaq in a pick-up
game of basketball (he couldn’t handle all 5’7” of this!), and beat Usain
Bolt in a race so bad, Elias turned around to hold the ribbon for him! Outlandish? You’ll just have to come to camp to see for yourself!
A little more about Elias'
background with Ionian Village… He was blessed to attend Ionian Village as a
camper and then again last year as a counselor, so he hopes to bring his kefi back
for another summer full of faith, fun, and love! He loves this camp so much and his goals for the summer are to help you grow in your faith, add people to your
extended family, and hopefully instill in you the same feeling of love for
Ionian Village that he has!
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Name: Eleni Saltas
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of Denver
About Eleni:
Eleni is
from Salt Lake City, Utah. She is 22 years old and currently a student at
the University of Utah studying Exercise and Sport Science with an
emphasis in Fitness Leadership. Breaking a sweat is her passion--whether she is
hiking or rock climbing in the beautiful Utah mountains
or training for her first marathon (June 2, 2013 in San Diego). Eleni
loves everything about being Greek, the food, the faith, and the
culture. Spreading Greek culture is something she's always
enjoyed, especially through dance performances at Salt Lake City's
annual Greek Festivals, and instructing dance groups in our local
Greek community. The best summer of her life
was in 2008, when she attended Ionian Village as a
camper. Now, Eleni is blessed with the opportunity to be an IV counselor
on the five year anniversary of her wonderful Ionian Village
experience. She is counting down the days to June 15 when she can begin
to give back to IV and show the kids the best summer of their lives.
Ionian Village will instill lifelong friendships, and create an "IV
agape" that will never be forgotten!
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Name: Alexandra Hall
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of New Jersey
About Alexandra:
Alexandra is from Richmond, Virginia and is currently studying to be a nurse at George Mason University in Fairfax,
Virginia. She is hoping to pursue a career in the cardiovascular operating room
next year in or around the Boston area.
Alexandra has two dogs and four cats to whom she speaks in a baby
voice, her car’s name is Topanga, and she eats a minimum of four bananas a day,
which was a bit of a culture shock when she arrived at a banana-less Ionian
Village as a camper. The good news is that the karpuzi is like none you have
ever experienced, as is all of the food prepared by Kyria Sophia.
She was a camper at Ionian Village in 2009, and many of her
fondest memories are from her time spent there. Alexandra truly believes that Ionian
Village helped her to grow in her faith, discover herself, and it allowed her to
experience the “real world”. She looks forward to being able to contribute to and
watch the transformations of each and every one of you throughout the summer.
Alexandra cannot begin to explain her absolute excitement to have been
given the opportunity to be a part of your experience at Ionian Village this
summer and make it the best summer of your life! She is counting down the days
until camp begins and cannot wait to meet you all!
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Name: Demetrios Buck
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of Detroit
About Demetrios:
Demetrios can't wait to start the summer and spend it being a counselor at Ionian Village. He attended IV as a camper in 2005, experiencing the best summer of his life. That summer strengthened his relationship with God, his church, and his culture. His favorite parts of IV were the excellent food, daily camp life, and the evening skits, where he can't wait to return some of his more than excellent acting skills. Also a favorite was the travel days, his favorite day visits being Kalavryta and Zakynthos.
Demetrios has extensive experience working with youth. Working as a youth and adult tennis teaching pro since the age of 16 at his hometown courts and tennis club, also a summer in Bedford, New York at Bedford Golf and Tennis Club. He was also a lifeguard at Detroit Metropolis Summer Camp for two years. Teaching and helping the youth is a passion and Ionian Village is another step in helping the youth grow.
Demetrios is from Grandville, Michigan and his local parish is Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Demetrios will be a senior at Michigan State University studying History Education. Go Spartans!
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Name: Dean Tiggas
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of Boston
About Dean:
Dean is a Minnesota
native but has been in the Boston area for the past four years, and is about to
wrap up is senior year at Hellenic College where he is Studying Religious
Studies. Dean has been involved with camping ministry for the last four years,
which included three years at the Metropolis of Boston camp and one summer at
Ionian Village. Dean decided that he had way too much fun to not do IV again.
When he is not studying Dean enjoys playing hockey, basketball, golf, and
pretty much any other sport, as well as anything outdoors related, rocking out
to country music, spending time watching squirrels, eating ice cream until his
stomach hurts, drinking way too much Starbucks and Dunkins, playing a good game
of Tavli, pairing socks, and getting so excited about the fact IV is just around
the corner that he can’t help but get up and start dancing in embarrassing
fashion.
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Name: George Touloumes
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About George:
A
Black-and-Gold-loving native of Pittsburgh, PA, George currently spends most of
his junior year tinkering in the lab while studying Electrical Engineering at
Princeton. In his free time, he loves giving tours at the campus art
museum (especially the Ancient Greece gallery!), listening to Carrie Underwood,
and playing/watching/daydreaming about soccer. George is a lifetime
camper/counselor at Camp Nazareth in Pittsburgh (aside from an awesome stint
counseling at Camp St. Paul in NY), but definitely had the best summer of his
life in cabin Crete at IV in 2009 – he’s thrilled to help make Summer 2013 the
most legendary IV experience ever!
Bonus fact: George’s greatest achievement to date is genetically
reconstructing the G, A, T, and C nucleotides of his DNA to spell C-A-M-P!
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Name: Stephanie Tzortzis
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of Boston
About Stephanie:
Stephanie's college, Northeastern University in Boston lets her pretend she is a real city girl even though she is from the 'burbs. It
has also made her want to move to Florida to avoid the cold! Stephanie serves as the Vice President of Standards for her sorority, Delta
Zeta, helping her sisters
steer away from risky behaviors. When Hurricane Sandy
hit, her Australian Shepherd, Hogan, survived 3 weeks out in the wilderness (at age 14!). Find him on instagram at #instahogan.
Stephanie loves helping out with GOYA as
an advisor at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn, MA, and the
show "Friends", of which she owns all 10 seasons and has been known to
quote Chandler at any given time. Stephanie loves nutrition and is currently
trying to convince her mother to incorporate tofu into her Lenten meals and has
been known to pass off Spaghetti Squash as real pasta at family
gatherings.
Lastly, she LOVES IONIAN VILLAGE! Stephanie was a camper in 2007 and she is so
excited to be returning as Staff this summer!
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Name: Helen Williams
Department: Athletics
Metropolis of New Jersey
About Helen:
Helen was born and raised in
Lynchburg, Virginia. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill with a degree in Psychology. She plans on returning to school to
follow her dream of becoming an Occupational Therapist. Helen enjoys watching
Carolina basketball (Go Heels!), traveling, and keeping up with her favorite
sitcoms. She has been a summer camp enthusiast for 15 summers and loves
sharing her passion for camp with others. She was a counselor at Ionian Village
this past summer and looks forward to another unforgettable summer of Kyria
Sophia’s cooking, Greek dancing, IV Olympics, and just plain fun in the Grecian
sun! She can’t wait to meet y’all!
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Name: Phillip Constantinides
Department: Athletics
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Phillip:
Phillip is an IV veteran
with 5 summer spent at IV ranging from a "PK" to a staff member. Over
his lifetime, IV has always held a special place in Phillip's life and he is
very excited to be able to attend again this summer and work with his older
brother and Camp Director, Fr. Evagoras, to ensure each and every camper gets
the total Ionian Village experience. In his everyday life, Phillip works in
marketing for menswear designer John Varvatos in NYC. He attends St. Peter in
the Bronx with Fr. Evagoras and Presbytera Maria.
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Name: Evan Tsevdos
Department: Athletics
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Evan:
Evan is from Brooklyn, New York, is 23 years old and recently completed his
undergraduate degree in Accounting and Masters degree in Tax from Fordham
University. He is extremely passionate about the Orthodox faith and belongs to
the Holy Cross in Brooklyn, NY. He is also extremely competitive
and passionate about sports. In other words, the Brooklyn Nets
are clearly the best team in the league and Evan won't lose a game, especially a
basketball game, without a hard fought battle! He attended Ionian Village as a
camper in 2008 and has long waited to return what was given to him as a camper
to the current campers– the best summer of their lives! Evan sees this summer
as an opportunity for us all to make some long lasting friends and to both have
fun and grow in our faith!
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Name: Alex Forniciari
Department: Aquatics, Head Lifeguard
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Forno:
Alex Fornaciari, who usually
goes by Forno, is a 23 year old from Stamford, CT. He went to IV as a
camper in 2005 and 2006, as a staff member last year, 2012, and is super
excited for IV2013. He received a Bachelors of Science
in Business/Finance from Saint Michael's College in May 2012, and is now a
4th grade teacher at The Stanwich School in Greenwich, CT. While he
loves his job, he'd much rather be in 'the Greece' (pronounce with accent)
working with the youth of our church. He is half Greek and half
Italian and has been to and loves both countries and cultures.
He
has always enjoyed being very involved with the Greek community and loves to
work with the kids especially. He has been involved with Archdiocese
camps as both a camper and staff member for many years. Alex is an
experienced lifeguard and will be in charge of making sure all of your children
are safe on the waterfront. He loves to hang out with his little brother
Zach, ride his bike, ski, play sports, be around the water, or pretty
much do anything active or outdoors. There
is really no better place he'd rather be than at Ionian Village, eating Kyrie
Sophia's food, visiting the saints, growing close with all of you, and just
having an outright blast!
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Name: Christie Sapp
Department: Aquatics
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Christie:
Christie was born and
raised in Atlanta, Georgia and recently graduated from Georgia Tech where she
studied Business and Engineering. At Tech, she participated in enriching and
challenging activities such as tug-of-war in a mud pit and a robot competition.
She has been known to say “ya’ll” and will eat Waffle House grits at every
opportunity. Christie is also considering changing her last name to
Sappadopoulous to remedy her father’s heritage. She is passionate about working
with youth and has served her community by coaching a swim team, lifeguarding,
serving as a GOYA advisor, and working at church summer camps for several
years. Christie spent the summer of 2008 as a camper at Ionian Village and is
extremely excited to be going back as an IV Staff member!
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Name: Jaimi Law
Department: Aquatics
Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West
About Jaimi:
Jaimi, age 21, just graduated from the University of La Verne. Never heard of it,
you say? Well, it is a private, highly-respected, university in Southern
California. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in the
Kinesiology field. She is certified in CPR, First Aid, and is also a certified
Lifeguard. She has had previous experience as a camp counselor. Last summer,
she worked at the Orthodox Christian Camp, St. Nicholas, in Frazier Park, CA.
She is an Orthodox convert and has been Orthodox since she was five years old.
She loves to be involved in her church, St. Peter the Apostle Antiochian
Orthodox Church. She is currently learning to chant and enjoys helping out with
the youth group. Working with teens is something she enjoys and she also finds
it easy to connect with them.
Jaimi enjoys a
fit and healthy lifestyle, which helps keep her energy levels up. She needs all
the energy she can get so that she can do all the things she loves. She loves
to sing and dance, and generally likes to get pretty silly with it. As you can
see from her picture, colors are her thing. Seriously, anything bright, she
loves it! Summer is her favorite season and she cannot wait to spend it at
Ionian Village, with all of you! IV2013, let’s go!
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Ionian Village Summer 2013 Medica Staff!!
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Name: Stephanie Meletis
Department: Infirmary, Head Nurse
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Nurse Stephanie:
Born and raised in
Charleston SC, Stephanie is a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and
a graduate of Clemson University (Go Tigers!) with a B.S. in Nursing. Stephanie
has been working as a nurse for going on 5 years and LOVES what she does. She
began working at the Medical University of SC where she developed a strong base
of nursing knowledge. After a life-changing medical mission trip to Haiti in
2011, Stephanie developed a fervent desire to give back what God has given her
by volunteering in free medical clinics in her hometown and working with the
youth in her community. The opportunity to serve as the nurse at IV has been
one of God’s greatest blessings for her this far. She is returning to IV this
summer as the nurse for the second consecutive summer and is SO excited to be a
part of your IV experience! Stephanie now works as a travel nurse in cities all
over the US where the need for nurses is highest. Her current assignment is at
the University of Chicago as a cardiac telemetry nurse. Life is an amazing journey
walking with Christ, #LetsGo IV2013!
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Name: Stephanie Spahis
Department: Infirmary, Nurse
Metropolis of Denver
About Nurse Stephanie:
Stephanie grew up in Dallas, Texas y’all. She is very excited
to be one of the nurses at Ionian Village this summer. She loves helping others
and is looking forward to taking care of the campers. She studied nursing at
the University of Texas at Arlington and also has experience as a dental
assistant.
Stephanie is very involved
in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas. She was involved in GOYA and
was GOYA President her senior year. She attended Camp Emmanuel many times, went
on GOYA retreats, and participated in GOYA basketball tournaments.
In her spare time, you can
find her listening and dancing to her favorite music, shopping till she drops,
and swimming. She also enjoys the company of her friends and her big Greek
family. She has been to Greece before and is looking forward to a new
life-changing experience at Ionian Village this summer.
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Name: Dr. Michael Dimitrion
Department: Infirmary, Camp Doctor (Second Session)
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Dr. Mike:
Dr. Michael Dimitrion was
born in Lardos, on the island of Rhodes and came to the US at an early
age. Dr. Mike grew up in
Northern NJ and just outside of Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers!!) prior to
embarking on his medical career.
Throughout his life, Dr. Mike has served the church, an altar boy in
Saint Demetrius in Jersey City, NJ and on the Parish Council of his church,
Saints Constantine & Helen in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has been on several medical mission
trips, notably to Ghana with the OCMC and to Romania.
Dr. Mike is married and
has 3 young adults of his own and is more than ready, willing and able and
excited to get to spend part of his summer with more young adults! Currently Dr. Mike lives on another
island, the island of Oahu in Hawaii with his family where he has a full time
medical practice and continues to serve his church.
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Ionian Village Summer 2013 Clergy
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Name: Fr. Ted Barbas
Department: Orthodox Life (First Session)
Metropolis of Boston
About Fr. Ted:
Fr. Ted has been serving as Chancellor of the Metropolis since June
1, 2008. He is a graduate of Hellenic College (1989) and Holy Cross
Greek Orthodox School of Theology (1992). He served as the Director of
Youth and Young Adult Ministries and Camp Director for the Metropolis of
Boston for seven years. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in March
of 1995 and served as Deacon to Metropolitan Methodios until he was
ordained to the Holy Priesthood in September of 1996 at the Taxiarchae
Parish in Watertown where he was assigned and served until he assumed
his ressponsibilities as Chancellor of the Metropolis. Fr. Ted and
Presbytera Daphne, a former IV Staff Member and Lifeguard, are the parents of Maria, Katerina, Yianni and Thea. This will be Fr. Ted's second time serving the Ionian Village.
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Name: Fr. Peter Salmas
Department: Orthodox Life (First Session)
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Fr. Peter:
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Name: Fr. Michael Ellis
Department: Orthodox Life (First Session)
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About Fr. Michael:Fr. Michael Ellis is the North American Chaplain of OCF. He lives in Mansfield, OH with his wife Presvytera Jesica and his two children Alexander and Sophia where he also serves as the pastor of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Fr. Michael was born and raised in upstate New York and was raised in the Orthodox Christian faith while a member of St. Michael's Orthodox Church, Binghamton, New York.
Fr. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at the State University of New York at Brockport, and attended and graduated from Christ the Saviour Seminary in Johnstown, PA. Upon graduation and ordination, he was assigned as the Director of Camp Nazareth Retreat and Conference Center for a term of five years, serving also as a member of the Diocesan Apostolate for Youth Ministry. While at Camp Nazareth, Fr. Michael first became involved with OCF helping begin a small local chapter at Westminster College. His next assignment would take him to Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Mansfield, where he would continue his work with OCF as the Great Lakes Regional Chaplain for nearly three years. As a priest of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, Fr. Michael also serves on the Diocesan Youth Commision.
In the summer of 2012, Fr. Michael began his work as the new North American Chaplain. Fr. Michael enjoys very much spending time with his family and his parishioners, as well as engaging the work of OCF, which truly motivates and inspires him. He also enjoys working, very much, with his fellow staff of OCF North American Office in meeting the needs of our beloved OCF North American Chapters!
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Name: Fr. George Livanos
Department: Orthodox Life (Second Session)
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About Fr. George:
Nothing
makes him smile more than spending a summer in Greece with a camp full of
youth! Having visited Greece for many
summers since he was 3 1/2 years old, since most of his family is in
Thessaloniki and the island of Chios, he has such fond memories of the
mother-land! The hot Mediterranean sun
baked into his soul the sounds of Church bells, the smell of incense, the
mysterious and life-filling silence found within the services, along with the
energy and passion of the free-spirited and hospitable people. The
exposure to the Orthodox Faith and Culture has made him the man he is today.
Fr. George
has spent 27 years serving Christ as a Priest, and Youth Ministry is such a
dynamic and exciting part of his life. One could say that God prepared him
for this role by blessing him and his wife, Presvytera Dianthe, with 7
children! Growing up an only child in Philadelphia, raised by a widowed
mother, he faced many challenges and found a deep sense of direction and hope
within the Church. This pushed him to move
beyond the limitations of his circumstances, giving him the opportunity to
develop a compassionate boldness and strong social skills. He is known for his joyful humor and unusual ability
to engage with people of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs.
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Name: Fr. Costa Keares
Department: Orthodox Life (Second Session)
Metropolis of Pittsburgh
About Fr. Costa:
Fr. Costa
was born on the island of Kos, Greece and immigrated with his parents and twin
sister to the US when he was 11 years old, and settled in Lancaster, PA where
his 5 siblings and extended family live. He attended Camp Nazareth during his
GOYA years and later as a counselor. He also served as a counselor at St.
Nicholas Ranch during his seminary years.
He graduated from Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology in 1990
with a Masters in Divinity. Following
graduation he served as youth director at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Camp Hill,
PA. He married Nicole Bartz in June of
1992 and was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood December 19-20,
1992. He continued on at Holy Trinity as
the assistant priest. In 1995-2000, he
served as the parish priest at St. Spyridon Church, Monessen, PA. Then from 2000-2008, he returned back to Holy
Trinity as the Dean of the Cathedral. In
2008, he was assigned to St. Paul Church, North Royalton, OH (suburb of
Cleveland) where he currently serves. He
and Presvytera Nicole have two children, Peter and Christina, who will be
campers the second session at IV. He and
Presvytera Nicole looks forward to working with the IV Staff and getting to
know the campers for an unforgettable experience!
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Ionian Village Summer 2103 Adminstrative Team
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Name: Gabby Nemchik
Department: Camp Office
Metropolis of San Francisco
About Gabby:
Gabrielle, "Gabby"
is so excited to be going back to Ionian Village this summer. A natural
nurturer, Gabby Attends Nursing School. Gabby loves to sing, dance, and act,
but she thinks it is most important to spread Hellenism and her faith with
everyone she encounters. She cannot wait to meet all the happy campers this year
and get them fired up for their faith, Greek culture, and friendships that last
a lifetime.
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Name: Presvytera Maria
Department: Camp Office
Direct Archdiocesan District
About Pres Maria:
Maria is ecstatic to be working with her husband Fr. Evagoras to
continue the mission of Ionian Village. Having served on staff for four summers
and having been a camper herself, Maria appreciates the miracle that takes
place each summer at IV and cannot wait to share her enthusiasm with the 2013
campers. With art history degrees from the University of Virginia and Boston
University, Maria loves museums, exploring New York City, playing with her dog
Elli, and all things Greek. She is modeling her amateur cooking career after
her Yiayia and Kyria Sophia and is looking forward to a fun-filled summer
encountering the beauty and inspiration of Greece.
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Name: Nicholas Savas
Program Director and Orthodox Life Coordinator
Metropolis of Atlanta
About Nicholas:
Nicholas is going on his
third consecutive summer of being on staff at Ionian Village, and first as
Program Director. After his first summer at Ionian Village in 2011, he realized
the great impact the program has on the youth of the Church and just knew he
had to keep coming back. At Ionian Village, he has led Orthodox Life
sessions, been a cabin leader, lifeguard, and is especially known for his DJ
skills as “DJ Nani Niko” spinning alongside "DJ Holy Skribblz" aka
Fr. Evagoras.
Nicholas travels frequently
leading youth retreats and participating in camps all across the Archdiocese.
It is through this work that he lives out his passion of youth work, but his
favorite is spending his summers at Ionian Village experiencing the Orthodox
faith and the beautiful culture in Greece.
Nicholas attends Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology working towards
his Masters in Divinity. He is a graduate of Hellenic College with a B.A. in
Religious Studies.
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Name: Konstantine Salmas
Assistant Director
Metropolis of San Fransisco
About Konstantine:
Konstantine has been
involved with Ionian Village since the late nineties. During his time at camp,
Konstantine has participated in every aspect of being a staff member; he has
led several cabins, served on the office staff, led Orthodox Life sessions, and
was the Program Coordinator. Konstantine has been an active part of the
continual development of the Ionian Village program over the past decade or so,
contributing to the adding of fun and exciting activites as well as new
excursions for campers.
In additions to his
responsibilities during the regular camping season, Konstantine works closely
throughout the year with the Spiritual Odyssey program in order to craft the
best possible trips for our young adults. During the trips, Konstantine serves
as main logistical coordinator for all Spiritual Odyssey programs.
He is a graduate of the
University of California at San Diego (B.A. in Creative Writing), Notre Dame de
Namur, and Holy Cross School of Theology (M.Div). Currently, he teaches at the
Graduate Theological Union. Konstantine is the director of education and youth
at the Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont, California.
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Name: Fr. Evagoras
Director of Ionian Village
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
About Fr. Evagoras:
Fr. Evagoras is very
conscious of the remarkable spiritual impact Ionian Village has on our Greek
Orthodox youth and young adults, having participated in the program multiple
times as a camper and serving as a staff member for three years. He is eager to
continue the rich Ionian Village tradition of discovering Greece and living
Orthodoxy.
He has extensive experience
in the fields of youth and camping ministries, having served camps and
conducting retreats across the country. Prior to entering the seminary, Fr.
Evagoras served as a counselor at Fanari Camp in Chicago. He also served Camp
Saint Paul, the camping ministry of the Direct Archdiocesan District, as both
Boys Director and Program Director. Additionally, Fr. Evagoras served as
Program Director at Summer Fenn Day Camp, an eight-week day camp for children
ages 5-15 in Concord, Massachusetts.
Fr. Evagoras holds a degree in Communication Studies from Monmouth College in
Monmouth, Illinois and a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
School of Theology. His wife Maria (Calender), of Bethesda, Maryland, has also
participated in Ionian Village as a camper and served as staff member for
multiple summers.
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