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Fronditha Care appoints new CEO

The Greek Herald
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Fronditha Care appoints new CEO

Fronditha Care announced on Wednesday afternoon the appointment of Faye Spiteri (Tsolakis) as the organisation’s new CEO.

Fronditha Care President and Board Chair, Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) said, “Faye is an exceptional leader who brings very relevant and diverse skills and experience to the role. She is an accomplished executive with a demonstrated successful track record in leadership roles across the government, corporate and for purpose sectors.”

The Board has been transparent about the significant financial and strategic challenges that Fronditha Care is facing. Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) confirmed how vitally important it was to the Board to appoint a new CEO with deep knowledge of the business and someone who could act swiftly to recalibrate the organisation.

According to a press release by Fronditha Care, Faye was chosen as the Board considered her to be the best person to inspire and lead change. She has a wide-ranging background including social policy, service delivery, strategy, people management, communications and commercial acumen. More importantly, Faye has broad cross-sectoral networks and extensive governance expertise which she brings to the role. This includes her experience as the first female President of Fronditha Care and Vice President of the Fronditha Care Board, during her nine-year tenure.

Jill Taylor (Nikitakis) added: “Faye is already very much aligned with the organisation’s culture and brings with her existing relationships with the entire Fronditha Care community including staff, members, volunteers, partners, sector leaders, organisational influencers and other key stakeholders.”

Commenting on the appointment, Mrs Spiteri (Tsolakis) said, “Fronditha Care holds a special place as one of the few independent aged care service providers contributing essential culturally appropriate services to the community.”

She added: “I am excited to be appointed CEO of Fronditha Care and to address the challenges that lie ahead. Given my three-decade passion and commitment to make a difference for the community, it is a privilege to lead the organisation as CEO and, together with the Board and staff, continue the focus on advancing the provision of optimal care outcomes for our elders.”

The ripple effects of ovarian cancer: Nicholas Kalogeropoulos on losing his sister

Andriana Simos
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The ripple effects of ovarian cancer: Nicholas Kalogeropoulos on losing his sister

In 2016, Helen Hatzis passed away after an eight year battle with ovarian cancer. In an interview with Body and Soul before her passing, Helen called the cancer “a bitch of a disease,” but said her “diagnosis really crystallised how lucky I am to have these people in my life.”

By “these people,” Helen was referring to her husband, two children, parents, siblings and friends. The support network she sadly left behind when she passed.

To mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, The Greek Herald decided to pay tribute to not only this courageous woman, but also the people who supported her on her journey. We spoke to Helen’s brother, Nicholas Kalogeropoulos, who shares what it was like seeing his sister battling ovarian cancer, as well as how he dealt with losing her.

The difficult conversations:

In 2016, Helen Hatzis passed away after an eight year battle with ovarian cancer. Photo supplied.

According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), one woman dies every 8 hours from ovarian cancer in Australia. In fact, if a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the chance that she will still be alive five years after is only 46%.

In Helen’s case, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008 and lived for eight years after. But Nicholas says it was when Helen was battling her sixth occurrence of the disease that there was a shift in her attitude.

“What we found was that each time she went through remission, as the years went on, the period of remission was less and less,” Nicholas explains to The Greek Herald.

“Helen could see the writing on the wall because she was constantly down rather than up. And it was at that time that she wanted to start having conversations about death and about what happens after she dies.”

Helen and her husband, John, with their two children, Georgeena and Nicholas. Photo supplied.

Nicholas says that at first, he tried to be the ‘eternal optimist’ by encouraging Helen to focus on getting better. But a year before she passed away, he finally succumbed to having the difficult conversation.

“She basically said to me, ‘I need to talk about death. I need to talk about what’s going to happen after I go. I need to make sure that you hold the family together’,” Nicholas says.

“These were really, really difficult conversations to have with somebody who’s been your older sister all your life.”

‘It was awful. Helen was our rock’:

Only a few months later, at the tender age of 51, Helen passed away in hospital. Her death, although not unexpected, still left all her family and friends heartbroken.

Helen and her family on a holiday to Vietnam. Photo supplied.

“It was awful. Helen was our rock. She was the one who would keep all the family together,” Nicholas says.

“My mum was just wailing. She could not understand why God would take her daughter and not her. So my mum had a really, really hard time dealing with that… The last thing you want to do is bury your child.”

For others, what hurt the most was knowing Helen was going to miss important moments in the lives of her two children, Georgeena and Nicholas.

“Georgeena was about to turn 21 years old and Nicholas was about to finish Year 12 VCE. But unfortunately, she passed away I think, seven days before he got his results. It was awful.”

Remembering Helen’s kindness:

In the months after Helen’s death, her loss began to be felt. Nicholas says her children and husband ‘miss her immensely.’ For his part, Nicholas is constantly reminded of his sister, even from the smallest of things.

“As the years go on, even now, sometimes it just feels so unreal. I could be driving along, I could be at a traffic light, I could be looking at a billboard, and it will remind me of Helen. I will just sit and think for a moment, you know,” Nicholas says.

Finding ways to memoralise Helen was important to Nicholas to keep her memory alive. It’s for this reason that he holds a cocktail party, called 35+GST, every two years in her memory. His sister, Christina, and their extended family also formed the Helen’s Hope Committee to honour her life.

“Between my sister and I, I think… we’ve probably raised about $60,000 for the OCRF. It’s just our way of remembering Helen.”

A woman who was clearly more than an ovarian cancer patient. She was a wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. Someone who, as Nicholas makes clear, will never be forgotten.

Theo Maras: “Give selflessly, be passionate, go on with your vision”

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Theo Maras: “Give selflessly, be passionate, go on with your vision”

Theo Maras, one of South Australia’s most experienced and well-credentialed business and community leaders, was the guest speaker of the ‘Breakfast at the Next Level’ monthly business event organised by SOL Results and held on Wednesday morning, at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide.

“Today is all about wisdom,” said host and SOL Results Co-founder, Stan Kontos, before he called Theo Maras on stage to share his life and business experience through his 40-year involvement in Adelaide’s property investment and development market. 

Maras’ early years in Australia 

Starting from the early years and his migration to Australia from the Greek island of Ikaria in 1952, at the age of four, Maras explained that his upbringing was simple and not without challenges.

“My grandfather Menelaos, had migrated to Australia in 1928 and he settled in Mildura. He didn’t know how to read or write in Greek or English. When we came to Australia, he made a statement to the family that they should move to Adelaide in order to be educated. He saw education as the only way for someone to get out of poverty.

“I went to Walkerville primary school and it was really interesting because I couldn’t speak one word of English. Six months later I was able to speak the language and the rest is history,” Mr Maras said and went on to talk about the creation of Mancorp Group.

From Mancorp Co-founder to Maras Group Chairman 

In the early 80s Theo Maras and Bill Manos, founded Mancorp group. A group that was instrumental in shaping development in South Australia for the decades to follow.

“We never looked at the figures. It was about the next goal, the next deal and what we would build for everybody’s benefit,” Mr Maras said. 

In July 2006, following a separation from the Mancorp Group, Theo founded the Maras Group but said his relationship with former business partner Bill Manos is ongoing and one that he values.

East End, Rundle Mall and the Central Market as key projects

Asked about the projects he’s most proud of, Theo Maras does not hesitate to answer that his three major projects have been the East End development, the Rundle Mall rejuvenation and currently the $400 million Adelaide Central Market Arcade redevelopment, due to start by June 2021.

“The East End for me was a key project. I used to go to East End as a kid on the back of the horse cart to take vegetables there with my family…. when the opportunity came up, I knew I wanted to do this.

“The East End was more than just a development. For me it was something that Adelaide didn’t have and still doesn’t have. Open, free planning,” said the prominent developer. 

Since the early 1990s the Maras family has been considered the dominant force behind the transformation of Rundle Street and the surrounding laneways, helping to retain its position as a pre-eminent hub for fashion, restaurants, bars and major events.

“It’s time that Adelaide became more cosmopolitan and we change things,” Mr Maras said, referring to the recent exhibition tennis matches as an example of what South Australia has to offer. 

Almost six months ago, Mr Maras was appointed as the Adelaide Central Market Authority (ACMA) Chairperson and is now focusing on transforming the Market into one of the biggest and best in the world.

“We are going to showcase some of the specialty stuff SA has to offer. We want to make it a one stop shop with many conveniences,” Mr Maras said.

The business breakfast concluded with the Ikarian giving his advice to other professionals. 

“Give selflessly, be passionate with drive and tenacity and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Ignore those who want to take you down and go on with your vision”.

*All photos: FB/SOL Results

Kimberley Ametoglou reveals shocking second cancer diagnosis

The Greek Herald
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Kimberley Ametoglou reveals shocking second cancer diagnosis

Formerly known as St Kilda schoolgirl Kimberley Duthie, author and entrepreneur Kimberley Ametoglou has revealed she is battling cervical cancer for a second time.

Kimberley was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year and entered surgery last week. Following the surgery, she was told by doctors that she had an unrelated rare tumour.

“Not where I wanted to be today. Still in shock but I’m staying positive,’’ she wrote on Instagram yesterday.

“I’ve been quiet about this but I’m devastated. When I was under last week during surgery, they found a rare tumour completely unrelated and I have been diagnosed with cancer again.”

“I am about to go in for surgery to mark up margins and measure the size of the cancerous mass. I love you all and I’ll see you once I’m out.”

Ametoglou now runs an eyelash salon in Queensland.

Ametoglou made headlines in 2010 and 2011 after leaking nude photos of St Kilda players and being caught in a hotel room with player manager Ricky Nixon. She is now releasing a tell-all book about her life, talking about her cancer diagnosis and events with the St Kilda players.

The mum of a four year-old son with husband Demirel Ametoglou, says she has been overwhelmed by support for her personal journey to heal and recover, and to “share my truth”.

“This is one of the most challenging things I have ever done, reminiscing on past traumas and a time in my life that I was at absolute rock bottom,’’ she said.

“I wanted to be able to share what I couldn’t say 10 years ago during many TV interviews.

“NDA contracts have finally expired now it’s 2021 and it’s my chance to finally close a chapter.”

Athens University breaks into top 200 in new international rankings

The Greek Herald
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Athens University breaks into top 200 in new international rankings

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) has broken into the top 200 rankings of the world’s best universities, collated by the global ranking system, Webometrics.

Out of 12,000 Universities, EKPA ranked 180th worldwide, with EKPA rector Thanos Dimopoulos claiming it is the first Greek university to ever place in the top 200.

Following the Athens University is the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 205th, the National Technical University of Athens in 329th, while the top five are closed by the University of Patras in 533rd and the University of Ioannina in 581st.

The University of Athens also reached the 73rd spot in European university rankings.

The ranking is compiled by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research team of the Higher Scientific Research Council of Spain. Universities are evaluated for three criteria: the number of external internet links to the institution’s content, the number of citations to the university’s work by other researchers, and the percentage of publications included in the top 10% of those cited.

READ MORE: The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is ranked 74th in the world, 11th in Europe

Last year, the university ranked 74th in the world based on recent results of Webometrics’ “Top Universities by Top Google Scholar Citations”.

The EKPA is one of the oldest and largest universities by enrolment in Europe, with over 69,000 registered students.

On this day in 1989, actor and director John Cassavetes died

The Greek Herald
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On this day in 1989, actor and director John Cassavetes died

John Cassavetes was a globally recognised Greek-American actor and director, regarded as the pioneer of American independent film.

Born December 9, 1929 in New York City, John Cassavetes was the younger of two sons of Greek immigrants, Nicholas and Katherine Cassavetes. He grew up in New York and attended the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1950. In his graduating year, Cassavetes also met his future wife, Gena Rowlands.

Cassavetes kick started his acting career in the film, Taxi (Gregory Ratoff, 1953), playing a minor part. A year later he began acting in short teleplays, beginning with Paso Double (for the Omnibus series). Cassavetes became typecast as a “troubled youth” in these programs and the motion pictures that were based on these plays. Among these films were Edge of the City (Martin Ritt, 1956) and Crime in the Streets (Don Siegel, 1957).

Appearing on Jean Shepherd’s Night People radio show, Cassavetes spoke about an alternative to Hollywood cinema, looking to launch his first independent film. Shepherd’s audience sent in donations totalling around $20,000, later embarking on creating his first film, Shadows.

The film changed the landscape of American cinema. Actors improvised within loosely defined situations and the story evolved as the shooting progressed. Everything was filmed with a hand-held 16mm camera.

Cassavetes screened Shadows in Europe, unable to find interested distributors in America. It was later released in America in 1961.

After the success of his film, Paramount hired him on to make a series of films, but later fired him after his first film didn’t reach audience standards.

Cassavetes acted in several films – most notably Rosemary’s Baby (Polanski, 1967) and The Dirty Dozen (Aldrich, 1967), for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

A new film, Faces, was later on the horizon, and was shot and edited in 16mm over three years. It premiered in 1968 and was a financial and critical success, being nominated of two Academy Awards and winning five awards at the Venice Film Festival.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Cassavetes worked independently or with modest studio backing when it was offered with complete artistic control. In the latter category are Husbands (Columbia, 1970), Minnie and Moskowitz (Universal, 1971), Gloria (Columbia, 1980), and Love Streams (Cannon, 1984). Of the self-financed are The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976/78), Opening Night (1978), and what many consider Cassavetes’ finest film, A Woman Under the Influence (1974).

After a three-and-a-half year illness, John Cassavetes died February 3, 1989. His spirit continues to inspire countless independent and maverick filmmakers around the world.

Sourced By: Cassavetes’ Biography

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese site in Redfern to undergo historical refurbishments

The Greek Herald
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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese site in Redfern to undergo historical refurbishments

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia has announced bold plans for a complete redevelopment of the Archdiocesan site at Cleveland Street, Redfern.

The proposal, which was initially announced last year, includes upgrades to the infrastructure of St Andrew’s Theological College, as well as the creation of a Library and Museum, with religious and cultural exhibits that reflect upon Greek Australian heritage and the history of our immigration.

The full proposal consists of five stages and is to be realised over the course of two decades with a total budget of approximately $27 million.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia has announced bold plans for a complete redevelopment of the Archdiocesan site at Cleveland Street, Redfern. Photo supplied.

The first stage envisages the careful restoration and refurbishment of the historic Cathedral of the Annunciation of our Lady, designed by famous Colonial architect, Edmund Blackett, at a cost of around $2 million.

Later stages include the reconstruction of facilities which house St Andrew’s Theological College and the administrative departments of the Archdiocese, with provision for the creation of the Library and Museum.

“The proposal is necessary not only to repair ageing and deteriorating infrastructure of the Archdiocese but will also improve functionality and ensure the Archdiocese’s facilities meet the needs of our community,” Nicholas Pappas, the Honorary Secretary and Trustee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Consolidated Trust, said in a statement.

The proposal is designed by award-winning Greek Australian architect, Angelo Candalepas. Photo supplied.

The proposal is designed by award-winning Greek Australian architect, Angelo Candalepas, who says the upgrade will ensure the site and its surrounding areas “will be here for many generations to come.”

Dr Philip Kariatlis, Sub-Dean of St Andrew’s Theological College said the new facilities would also enable the College to expand and enrich its curriculum to include associated disciplines such as counselling and courses in the Greek language.

College students say this expansion will improve their learning experience and ensure they are able to maintain their Greek language, traditions and faith. 

Students at St Andrew’s Theological College, Dimitri Marvromatis, Eleni Mavrolefteros and Timothy Klintsaris, say their studies at the College have inspired them in transformative ways. Photo supplied.

“The expansion of the College will give me and students access to better facilities that will improve our learning experience including more modern classrooms and a library that support the needs of students in the 21st century,” student, Eleni Mavrolefteros, says.

“There are so many people including children and young people who will benefit from Greek language courses. The whole community will be able learn and experience the resources and artefacts of the library and museum.”

Another student, Dimitri Mavrommatis, agrees and says the upgrade will give students and the community “a more robust educational and spiritual experience whilst learning Theology.”

Students Kimon Giannopoulos and John Varipatis who say the masterplan will bring much needed new facilities and opportunities for students St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney. Photo supplied.

“With the proximity of the College chapel, daily communal worship of the student cohort along with the faculty, provides time for prayer and reflection but also importantly for fellowship in Christ, as one body supporting each other in the exercise of academia,” Mr Mavrommatis says.

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia said he hoped the plans would inspire all Greek Australians to develop and maintain a deeper connection to the Church, as well as to our ancestral culture, language and traditions.

The Archdiocese premises would stand amongst Sydney’s most iconic buildings and attract all interested citizens and researchers, irrespective of faith and origin.

Sophie Cotsis: Berejiklian Government ignoring repeated warnings to defend against cyber attacks

The Greek Herald
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Sophie Cotsis: Berejiklian Government ignoring repeated warnings to defend against cyber attacks

Labor is urging the Berejiklian Government to safeguard Government departments and services against cyber attacks ahead of today’s parliamentary Inquiry into Cybersecurity.
 
Recent media reports indicated Cyber Security NSW is investigating another major attack on the Government.
 
The Shadow Minister for Better Public Services Sophie Cotsis said: “The Berejiklian Government has continued to ignore repeated warnings that it needs to take urgent action to protect departments and services against cyber attacks.”
 
“The Government cannot be trusted to defend the personal information of its citizens,” Ms Cotsis said.
 
“It has still done nothing in response to the NSW Auditor General’s warnings last year that the personal details of 4 million Service NSW customers’ remain at risk following a major breach.”
 
The data breach followed the Department of Customer Service disclosure in its Annual Report that the number of cyber security incidents reported to Cyber Security NSW increased 50 per cent on the previous year (page 36).
 
The report also found:
– 30 percent of agencies do not provide training to employees in relation to data protection and breach management
– 30 percent of agencies do not maintain a register of data breach incidents
– Those agencies which do maintain a register of data breach incidents often fail to record important information, with no agencies recording the estimated cost of any data breach which occurred
 
The Auditor General, for the third year in a row, has warned that the Government needed to prioritise improvements to cyber security as a matter of urgency.

Greek restorer tends to Istanbul church artefacts that ‘live through centuries’

The Greek Herald
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Greek restorer tends to Istanbul church artefacts that ‘live through centuries’

Greek restorer Venizelos Gavrilakis uses microscopes, cotton swabs and a delicate touch to bring artefacts back to life in churches in Istanbul, where concerns have grown about the preservation of its Byzantine history.

Since moving from Thessaloniki eight years ago, Gavrilakis, 44, and his colleagues have preserved icons, frescos and paintings in 25 Greek Orthodox churches in the city, he said.

Their latest job restoring artefacts including a 16th century depiction of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ took longer than planned due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

Venizelos Gavrilakis, a senior restorer and conservator from Thessaloniki, Greece, and his assistant Asli Erel work to clean and restore an early 17th century royal door at a Greek Orthodox church where Gavrilakis set up his laboratory in Istanbul, Turkey December 22, 2020. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]

Throughout the city’s Christian Byzantine and then Muslim Ottoman history, before Turkey’s modern republic, many such religious and cultural works were damaged or lost in war or abandonment, or altered by less-skilled painters.

Gavrilakis, who gives a lifetime guarantee for his work, said the restoration is meant to send a message of unity and longevity at a time when the pandemic has temporarily kept many worshippers apart.

“The pandemic will pass, in order to fight it we all should remain spiritually united,” Gavrilakis said. “Our work on these precious and timeless artefacts will always be there for the people to see it and get inspiration and strength from it.”

Venizelos Gavrilakis, a senior restorer and conservator from Thessaloniki, Greece, poses with the 16th century Byzantine Christian icon after completing its restoration at a Greek Orthodox church where he set up his laboratory in Istanbul, Turkey January 26, 2021. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]

Turkey’s decision last year to convert the famed Hagia Sophia as well as the Chora church, another local Byzantine landmark, into mosques sparked criticism from some church leaders and Western countries. Some experts also worried the conversion could harm frescos and other artefacts in the 6th century Hagia Sophia.

Gavrilakis trained in Italy and Greece, where he had worked on more than 40 churches in the north. In Istanbul the oldest icon he and his team, called Ieri Parakatathiki Labs, have restored is a Fayum portrait from the 2nd or 3rd century B.C.

The artefacts, he said in an interview, “remind people of the unlimited possibilities of the human mind that can create such wonderful things that live though the centuries.”

Sourced By: Reuters

Coronavirus cases in Greece hit quadruple digits as third wave fears grow

The Greek Herald
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Coronavirus cases in Greece hit quadruple digits as third wave fears grow

Greece on Tuesday recorded 1,261 new cases of coronavirus and 22 fatalities, hitting quadruple digits for the first time since December.

Eighteen of the 1,261 cases involved international visitors tested upon arrival, with authorities conducting a total of 37,591 tests over the past 24 hours.

A total of 244 patients remain intubated in intensive care units while 1,131 have left ICU.

Fears of a third wave have grown as the country observes more cases of the UK and South African mutation of the virus, which was identified in Thessaloniki. Infectious Diseases professor Nikos Sypsas said the vaccine is less effective on the South African mutation.

“There are 3 mutations at the moment which infect more. It’s the British, the South African, and the Brazilian mutations,” he said.

Photo: Reuters

“There are very strong indications that the vaccines are less effective for the South African mutation.

“There is a possibility that the virus overcomes immunity and this will mean that we have to back to square one, back in the era of Wuhan,” Sypsas said.

“If the South African strain prevails in Greece, then it’s like having a new virus that the vaccines do not cover.”

The possibility of a third wave and how ESY is to deal with it were discussed on Monday in a teleconference convened by Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias, his deputy Vassilis Kontozamanis, Health Ministry Secretary-General for Primary Healthcare Marios Themistokleous, General Secretary of Health Services Ioannis Kotsiopoulos and the president of Greece’s ambulance service (EKAV), Nikos Papaefstathiou.

The ministry’s new operational plan, which was presented at the meeting, outlined the necessary interventions to increase the capacity of hospitals for the treatment of Covid cases in case this is necessitated by the pandemic’s course.

The plan is modeled on the one followed in Thessaloniki, where during the second wave, intensive care beds in ESY hospitals quadrupled, while reserves from the private sector were also utilized. ​​​​​

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