Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis
| Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th United States Ambassador to Hungary | |
|
In office January 7, 2010 – July 20, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | April H. Foley |
| Succeeded by | Colleen Bell |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Markos Kounalakis |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College (A.B.) University of California, Berkeley (M.B.A.) |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox |
Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis was the United States Ambassador to Hungary until July 2013. She was sworn into office by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 7, 2010. She presented her credentials to the President of Hungary, László Sólyom on January 11, 2010.
Before accepting President Obama’s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary,[1] Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis was president of AKT Development Corporation, one of California’s largest land development firms.[2] Ambassador Kounalakis earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business.[3] In 2011, she received an Honorary Doctor of Law from the American College of Greece.[4]
Ambassador Kounalakis and her husband, veteran print and broadcast journalist Markos Kounalakis, founded two university chairs in Hellenic studies, the Markos and Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair at Georgetown University,[5] and the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis chair in honor of Constantine Mitsotakis at Stanford University, held by Josiah Ober. Both chairs focus on the understanding of the origins of Athenian democracy. They also established the Tsakopoulos Kounalakis lecture series at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to focus on democracy and international relations.[6]
Ambassador Kounalakis served for nearly ten years as a Trustee of the World Council of Religions for Peace. In recognition for her work with the WCRP, she was awarded the medal of St. Paul, the Greek Orthodox Church of America’s highest honor.[7] San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her to serve as a Trustee of the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center.
Ambassador Kounalakis served four times as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and as an at-large member of the California State Central Committee. She also served as a member of the First 5 California Commission, and the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.[8] She served as a Trustee of Robert Redford’s Sundance Preserve and on the Conservation Fund’s National Forum on Children and Nature.
Ambassador Kounalakis and her husband have two children.
Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis is the daughter of Angelo Tsakopoulos, a Sacramento developer and key fundraiser for Team Hillary during Hillary Clinton's first presidential bid in 2008.
Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, was appointed Ambassador to Hungary in 2010, and sworn in by Clinton, who was Secretary of State of the United States at that time.
References
- ↑ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". White House.
- ↑ "Land Developer to U.S. Ambassador". Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ↑ From real Estate Exec to Diplomat
- ↑ "American College of Greece Commencement". DEREE.
- ↑ Georgetown University Receives $1.2 Million Gift for Hellenic Studies Chair
- ↑ "Southeast Europe Project Announces Scholars". Wilson Center.
The project features the Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Lecture Series as a forum for world leaders and distinguished scholars who study, understand, and manifest democracy and reason as classical Hellenism's vital contributions to contemporary statecraft and society.
- ↑ "Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis Receives Greek Orthodox Church of America's Highest Honor". PSEKA.
- ↑ Appointed Members of the Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism
External links
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by April H. Foley |
United States Ambassador to Hungary 2010–2013 |
Succeeded by Colleen Bell |