The head of the US embassy in Greece will now be George Tsounis, with the plenary session of the Senate approving his appointment. Jeffrey Payat’s successor is the choice of the well-known Greek senator Robert Menendez. “George Tsounis is the personification of the American dream and his story is an impressive success story,” Menendez said at the Tsounis award ceremony by the Hellenic Bar Association.
Despite his problems when nominated for the US embassy in Norway, the long-standing support he has shown to President Biden has helped keep him politically firmly on his feet. In fact, in the pre-election battle of 2012, he was the president of the “Greek-Americans for Obama-Biden”. He also maintains good relations with Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken. Despite being one of the main sponsors of the Democratic Party, the expatriate businessman keeps open the channels of communication in the Capitol with MPs and senators from the two major parties.
George Tsounis was born in 1967. He was influenced by his parents James and Eleni, first generation immigrants. They left Nafpaktos, and specifically Platanos, a beautiful mountain village that keeps unchanged even today its traditional character.
George spent his childhood on Long Island with his two sisters, Anastasia and Vicky. Growing up, his sisters became teachers in public schools. Their house smelled like Greece, as it was everywhere. Their parents maintained anyway they could the ties with the homeland they left behind, the Greek heritage and the language. George attended the Greek school, participated in the Greek parade as a student in the community of Agia Paraskevi. He never lost the Sunday church in which he participated. As a child, he went with his father to meet and welcome Archbishop Iakovos. He, anxious and holding his father’s hand, asked him: “Dad, how should I address him?”.
And his father answered him: “It is enough to say to him: I wish God to take years from us and to give them to you”. His whole childhood was a balance between two worlds. On the one hand, the opportunities and the better life his parents sought for him and his sisters, generously offered by America. On the other hand, the constant connection with the mother-homeland and the nostalgia for it. But there was no time to lose! The family of five followed in the footsteps of so many Greeks, falling head over heels at work.
In the years that followed, George has repeatedly praised the sacrifices his parents made to offer their children opportunities they did not have. In addition, he has described the embrace with which their new country welcomed them.
Going back to the family’s first coffee, the cafe became a restaurant and gradually they multiplied. Later, their business activities expanded into the hotel sector. The Tsouni family started operating hotels in 1985, including “Hilton”, “Intercontinental”, “Starwood” and “Radisson”. George himself once said that a key component of the success of the family business is the sense of hospitality that Greeks have. “We take care of them, we feed them well, we serve them good coffee and finally we provide them with a good sleep”. The whole family helped, with the three children learning at a young age the value of hard work. It is perseverance and patience that open the door to his studies. His first stop was the famous New York University. He goes on continues at the St. John’s University School of Law, where he graduated with a degree in Law in 1992. Shortly afterwards, he did his internship at Rivkin Radler LLP, a law firm in Long Island. His colleagues at the time described him as a pleasant collaborator, effective in his work, with a Greek temperament, hardworking, ambitious and team player.
Finally, despite his young age, he rose through the hierarchy and was anointed a partner. This is the law firm that represents the largest real estate development companies. At the same time, he undertakes the family business. His activity in the private sector was accompanied by a strong presence in the public sector. He served as special adviser to the city of Huntington and as appointed senator Alfonse D’Amato to the US Senate Banking, Housing and Civil Affairs Committee, as well as a senior staff member in Governor George Patakis’s 1994 election campaign. He has also served as a lawyer in the New York City Council.
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At the same time he met, fell in love and finally married in 2004 the woman of his life, Olga Anjoulis. Both she and her family were active members of the Greek Diaspora. They have three children: James, Eleni and Gianna. The family has chosen to stay in Long Island. George devoted himself to the family business as president and CEO. The family property portfolio includes restaurants, malls, office buildings, and storage facilities in New York and New Hampshire. This experience pushed him to follow his own path by measuring his strengths. In 2006 he chose Rob McCarthy as his partner and together they founded the hotels “Chartwell LLC”. The aim of this new business venture was to combine hospitality with a “live well” philosophy, which focuses on healthy eating and the general environmental sensitivity of hotels. It is the time when his name appears among the richest Greek Americans on the other side of the Atlantic. Then begins his philanthropic work, for which he has been awarded many times. Over time, he supported the Ecumenical Patriarchate, winning the title “Lord of the Patriarchate”. Having taken Greek lessons and following the same path for his children, he founded a department at Stony Brook University in New York, which is named after his wife and his own.
At the same time, it finances the organization of parades, initiatives of the Greek Diaspora and individuals. It is no secret that she is one of the driving forces behind Madeline Singas, the North Epirus woman who succeeded to the position of appellate judge in the State of New York. He is one of the key players in the reconstruction of the historic St. Nicholas Cathedral at the World Trade Center in New York.
In 2014, he was ordained the master of ceremonies of the New York National Parade on 5th Avenue. This honorary distinction is announced by the Archbishop of America Demetrios himself, who praises him. The expatriate businessman also took over the chairmanship of the board of the Nassau University Medical Center. It is one of the most important hospitals in the USA. Before taking over the reins, hospital executives were making “corporate trips” to the Caribbean, worth $ 113,000! Now the same executives fly with financial position and hold their meetings at the airport, so as not to burden the fund with unnecessary expenses. Tsounis, in fact, has offered them the following options for food: burgers or sandwiches from the airport cafes.
Since 2009 he had officially become a member of the Democratic Party. The previous year he had financially supported John McCain’s candidacy. But he was inspired by Barack Obama, for whose re-election he raised $ 1.5 million. He supported Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York. Among other things, he organized a summer barbecue at his house, where the guests put their hand deep in their pocket. He has sided with senators such as Chuck Summer, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With the latter the mutual sympathy gradually turned into a close friendship. He particularly appreciated the fact that Menendez understands and defends issues related to Hellenism, the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish.
This close relationship was also reflected when the Hellenic Bar Association honored George Tsounis two years ago for his overall contribution. The ceremony took place at “The Pierre Hotel” in Manhattan, which was attended by important personalities of the Greek Diaspora and beyond. Among them, the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos, the Consuls General of Greece and Cyprus Dr. Konstantinos Koutras and Alexis Faidonos Vante, respectively, expatriate senators and MPs.
The award was given by Menendez. “George Tsounis is the personification of the American dream and his story is an impressive success story”, he said, adding that he was proud to call him his friend.
Menendez was the man who strongly supported Tsounis’ appointment as US ambassador to Norway. However, his hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee did not go well. He confused the state of the country by referring to the president of the country and not to the prime minister. Another blow was when Tsounis described one of Norway’s major political parties, a member of the then coalition government, as a “marginal element”. These mistakes provoked strong reactions, as a result of which he eventually withdrew his candidacy. Friends and acquaintances claimed that he learned from his mistakes, studied and stood up.
His ties with Greece, his rich activity in the Greek Diaspora, his understanding of the positions of Greece and Cyprus and his involvement in the hot issues that plague the Eastern Mediterranean are just some of his comparative advantages. Tsouni’s fate will ultimately depend on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has the power to ratify the candidacy and bring it to approval.
