ACS Athens is proud to announce to its community that Mr. Nick Larigakis, member of the ACS Athens Board of Trustees, was recently awarded with the Medal of "Honor and Valor" for "distinguished services to the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Nation" and for "exceptional service and support in promoting the United States-Greece relationship."  The Greek Minister of National Defense Evangelos Apostolakis bestowed the Medal to Mr. Lagirakis on May 7 at an honorable event with the presence of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff. 

Nick Larigakis, during his long tenure at AHI (American Hellenic Institute, a non-profit Greek American public policy center,  has organized more than 70 legislative conferences, two trade conferences on "Doing Business in Greece," nine conferences on the Future of Hellenism in America (2002-2010), and two congressional fact-finding delegations to Greece (1993 & 1997). He works with the U.S. Congress on U.S.- Greece-Cyprus relations, where he has provided witness testimony before congressional appropriations committees on foreign aid policy; and as liaison to the grassroots community, traveling the U.S. to educate the public about AHI’s public policy issues and other aspects of its mission. Moreover, Larigakis frequently visits Greece and Cyprus to meet with government officials.

Also, Mr. Larigakis serves as President of the Greek American Political Action Committee. He is a founding partner of 3NJ, LLC, a Virginia-based real estate development company. Prior to AHI, he worked at the National League of Families for POW/MIA’s from Southeast Asia where he helped coordinate its grassroots network. He has also served on the Boards of the Greek Orthodox Young Adult League for four years (president in 1989); and the Delian League, an organization of young Greek American professionals, for three years (president in 1992). Larigakis received his B.A. in Political Science from the College of New Jersey, formerly Trenton State, and did post-graduate work in International Affairs at the American University in Washington, D.C. (source)

The ACS Athens community would like to congratulation Mr. Larigakis for this honorable distinction and wish him continued success.