I first met the Euro-American Women’s Council’s (EAWC) founder, global president and C.E.O. when, following the Tsunami, she presented the organization I founded, Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) a check for $42,000 for the children in Sri Lanka.
I was impressed by this strong woman, her inexhaustible energy, and her connectivity. She struck me as a thought leader and global citizen. Her name was Loula Loi Alafoyiannis.
Loula Loi Alafoyiannis is old friends with the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The Euro-American Women’s Council’s mission is to strengthen the status of women in the global marketplace by building strategic alliances between women in business and prominent leaders across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and other places of the world.
Through EAWC, women of diverse backgrounds and accomplishments work together to advance women’s access to positions of leadership and to pave the way for the next generations of women business leaders.
Loula with President Bill Clinton and Congressmember Carolyn B, Maloney.
Core to EAWC’s mission are:
Fostering bilateral cultural relations that lead to social and economic growth and development.
Promoting environmental protection through enhanced technology.
Celebrating women’s diversity and accomplishments, and promoting equality in the business arena.
Creating a platform of mutual respect, cooperation and shared goals between women of the United States and Europe.
Mentoring and educating the youth to successfully lead in a rapidly changing, technology-driven global society with respect to the universal values.
Founded in 1996, EAWC’s mission is to strengthen the status of women in the global marketplace by building strategic alliances between women in business and prominent leaders across the United States and Europe.
Through EAWC, women of diverse backgrounds and accomplishments work together to advance women’s access to positions of leadership and to pave the way for the next generation of women business leaders.
With her friend Hillary Clinton, now Secretary of State, a strong supporter of Greece.
Prior to EAWC, Loula served as the Vice President of the United Hellenic American National Council, which she co-founded with Mr. John Alafoyiannis.
The Council’s goal was to build bridges between Greek and American entrepreneurial communities and to advance the cause of women’s rights in the arenas of business and education.
The Council has sponsored numerous White House luncheons for prominent and influential businesswomen throughout the United States and Greece.
In addition to her business activities, Loula, widely recognized for her strategic planning and interpersonal skills, has been highly active in public relations, event management and fundraising activities in the political arena.
She has served as an advisor to former U.S. Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy (MA) and supports Joe in fundraising and public relations activities for the Greek-American and other minority communities.
Loula Alafoyiannis interviewed the late Senator Teddy Kennedy.
In November 1989, as a Board Member of the Finance Committee of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, Loula promoted the book, Robert F. Kennedy: In His Own Words, in Athens, Greece.
In 1991, she founded and organized the Best Buddies Foundation in Greece with Anthony Kennedy Shriver, its Global President and C.E.O.
Loula Alafoyiannis speaking at EAWC's 13th Annual Global Goddess Artemis Award Ceremonies
at the World Renowned Zappeio Megaro in Athens Greece. The ceremonies were under the
auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of the Hellenic Republic.
In 2001, Loula became Coalition Partner (Greece/Europe) of the political organization Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).
In 2000, she served as an ethnic group public relations team leader for Former First Lady and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. She was also instrumental in planning Hillary’s visit to Greece, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Games.
Loula also served as a special speaker at the National Foundation for Women Legislators in New Orleans. In the mid-80’s she served as a public relations and press spokesperson for Greek-Americans for the Democratic Party.
In 2002, Loula was instrumental in the production of the two documentaries Visions of Greece, made on behalf of WLIW21. She was in charge of pinpointing the prominent historical places and tourist attractions for the film.
Top business and government dignitaries have found her to be an invaluable resource of support and counsel, including former Governor of New York Mario Cuomo, U.S. Senators Paul Sarbanes and Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Congress member and President/Co-Founder of the Greek Caucus Committee Carolyn B. Maloney, Deputy Secretary of Education and Culture Patricia Harrison, and U.S. Congressman Gary Ackermann.
Other thought leaders and global citizens in Loula's circle include WIPP’s Terry Neese; Phyllis Hill-Slater, President, Chair of New York State Women Enterprises and member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team; Jane Applegate, CNN Correspondent; Dr. Shirley Strum-Kenny, President of the State University of New York at Stony Brook; and Tina Knight, President of Knight Computer Cables, Inc.
Loula currently serves as a member of the Human Rights Advisory Council of New York. Other affiliations include the Daughters of Roumeli non-profit organization, which she co-founded and served as former president and the Hermes Athletic Club of New York.
Loula has received many awards in her life, including being honored by NASDAQ.
Her notable background and accomplishments have granted her numerous accolades and awards. In recognition of being one of the most creative minds of leading women entrepreneurs of the world, Loula was awarded IBM’s prestigious Crown Award, which was presented by Ms. Cherie Piebes, Global Market Executive Director for Women Entrepreneurs.
She has earned the distinguished Honorary Citizen of Bacu (Azerbaijan Republic ) award as a result of her pioneering efforts to provide entrepreneurial training to citizens of the former Soviet Union.
For her tireless humanitarian efforts, she has received awards from AMMJE (Asociacion Mexicana de Mujeres Jefas de Empresa), the Village Reform Democratic Club of New York and from Congress for her human rights activities in Cyprus and the former U.S.S.R.
Loula was also named Woman of the Year by the Boys Club of Queens and was awarded the Teacher of the Year award by the Greek Orthodox Church’s former Archbishop of North and South America, Iakovos.
Additionally, Loula has appeared in the New York Daily News’ prestigious People’s Page and has been featured as a Four Career Woman in various Greek and Greek-American publications.
With high sensitivity to suffering people, as she tries hard to gain the bet of life Loula has devoted her life to assisting seriously ill and cancer-affected, especially, low-income children from Greece.
Collaborating with various hospitals in New York she helps the children to obtain the best medical care possible and to deal with the human dimensions of their illness as well.
Loula holds a degree in education and served as an elementary school director for two decades in New York. She is fluent in English, Greek, and Russian.
Loula is married to John and they have jewels: daughter Rania, son Constantine, daughter-in-law Nina, son John-Nicholas Jr., daughter-in-law Nadia and the crown jewel lovely granddaughter Isabella-Rania.
Other Stories by Jim Luce on Powerful Women
Asia Society's Prez on Global Citizens Like Obama (Huffington Post)
Chatting with UNICEF’s Director Ann Veneman (Huffington Post)
Thought Leader and Global Citizen, India’s Filmmaker Mira Nair (Daily Kos)
Wanting To Be A Voice For Ukrainian-Americans (Daily Kos)
Other "Strong Women" Profiles Under Consideration:
Constance Adamopoulos.
Jeyran T. Afandi, Owner & C.E.O., AJ Group - Dubai.
Rania Alafoyiannis, Executive Global Public Affairs Director.
Maribel Amber, Former Vice President, Global Corporate Client Group/ NASDAQ OMX GROUP/ Inc.
Susan Anderson, Founder & President, ArtReach Foundation.
Elektra Asteri, Songwriter/Singer.
Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Director, European Institute of Law, Science and Technology, Attorney at Law, LL.M. Columbia Law School - USA/EUROPE.
Wilhemina Cole-Holladay, Executive Global Cultural Chair.
Rita Cosby, Veteran TV Host/ Radio Host/ Best-Selling Author.
Dr. Devra Lee Davis, Nobel Price Recipient Contributor/ Environment, Director of Environmental Oncology, Professor of Epidemiology/ University of Pittsburgh.
Stephanie R. Dawkins, Founder & C.E.O. of Stephanie Dawkins International, Inc.
Dr. Bernice Bass De Martinez, Professor of Education / Former Provost & Vice, President of Academic Affairs, California State University.
Kathy Eldon, President of Creative Vision/ International Lecturer/ Writer/ Journalist/ TV & Film Producer.
Eva Haller, President @ C.E.O. of Free the Children, President of Women to Women, EAWC Executive Global Board of Directors.
Leticia Herrera, President of ECI Co.
Daisy Gallagher, C.E.O., Gallagher & Gallagher Inc. (“The Agency of Choice”).
Gayle Gaston, Entrepreneur, President and C.E.O. of Gayle Gaston & Co.
Forough Ghahramani, Chair of Biomedical Informatics and Chair of Computer Information Systems Departments (DeVry University).
Jackie Indelicarto, Vice President & Secretary, Kinkel & Indelicarto, PLLC, OBD, Wolftrap Foundation.
Cella Ipiotis, Creator / Producer / Moderator of “Eye on Dance and the Arts” & “Eye on the Arts.”
Nina Karahalios, Architect, Co-Executive Global V.P. & Chief Operating Officer,
Mara Karetsos, Sculptor, Artist (Greece), UNESCO-Woman of the Year 2004.
Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, President of Stony Brook State University of New York.
Iliada (Linda) Kotrotsios, Executive Director, Public Relations, Hermes Expo Intl.
Svetlana (Lana) Kim, Asian Academy Hall of Fame Inductee/ Author.
Nikki Loi, President & C.E.O. of Fashion Planet Ltd. (Greece).
Mirella Maniani, Golden Olympic Champion of Javelin.
Pavlina P. Moustaka, Vice President-Founder EAWC, General Manager of IQ Group (Greece).
Cherie Piebes, Global Market Executive, Women Entrepreneurs IBM.
Denise Nadia Ruiz, Economist, Co-Executive global Treasurer
Joanna Savvides, President World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia.
Mary Schnack, President, Mary Schnack Media Services, Inc.
Jenny Shtipelman, Vice President of Business Development at EagleBank.
Bonnie Swayze, Vice President, Marketing for Alliance, Packaging & Mailing Products.
Phyllis Hill Slater, Co-Founder & Executive, Global Chair.
Ellen Thraser, Associate Administrator, Business & Community Initiatives, U.S. Small Business Administration.
Di Trevis, Director at the National Theatre of Great Britain.
Stamatia Trivoulides, Artist/ Author/ Founding and Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Maria Tzolis, Associate P.R. and Cultural Director of EAWC.
Vicky Tzolis, Executive Global Secretary-Treasurer.
Laura Savini Webb, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, WLIW21/N.Y.
Tian “Lisa” Zhang, President, World Peace Charity Foundation, Beijing.
Dr. Alicia Theodoratos Zizzo, Pianist & Musicologist.