Archons of St. Andrew

Arthur Balourdos, Hypomnematografos
Chicago
October 26, 2008

Arthur Balourdos of the Annunciation Cathedral in Chicago, IL, was invested as Archon in 2008 and conferred with the offikion Hypomnematrografos.

Archon Balourdos is a major benefactor of the St. Iakovos Retreat Center. For the past three years, has been the Chairperson of the Fund Raising Committee for the Patriarch Bartholomew Health Clinic in Kerala, India. He has also been a catalyst in raising funds for young children with neurological disorders in the Chicago area.

Archon Balourdos, a University of Michigan graduate (BA, 1985), is a successful real estate developer. While in college, he lettered four years in football and has played in five major post-season Bowl games.

Archon Balourdos and his wife, Nancy, were married in 1995 and have two children.

John Balourdos, Depoutatos
Chicago
October 23, 2005

John Balourdos, Depoutatos
Chicago
October 23, 2005

John Bartholomew was an Archon Hartoularios in the class of 1999. His title was bestowed upon him by his Eminence Archbishop Spyridon in February 1999, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York.

Born on the Aegean Island of Andros, Greece, he came to America with his family at the age of eleven. After his primary and high school education, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

His love for the Church brought him to the steps of St. George in East Chicago, where he became a member and later a Trustee for 6 years. Moving to Chicago he joined the parish of St. Andrew in 1958, and was elected to the Board of Trustees where he served consecutively as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and ultimately, President. Sharing his professional expertise with the Church, he supervised all maintenance matters of the St. Andrew complex of buildings
In the business field, Mr. Bartholomew succeeded in establishing his own company J. Bartholomew Engineering Co.

George Cantonis, Exarchos
Atlanta
March 08, 1987

Michael G. Cantonis
Archon Hieromnimon

Michael G. Cantonis was conferred the title Archon Depoutatos in 1976 and was the recipient of the Holy Sepulchre from the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He was a member of three Greek Orthodox Churches: St. Andrew Church in Chicago, Holy Trinity Church in Clearwater, and St. Nicholas Church in Tarpon Springs. While living in Chicago he served on the Parish Council of the St. Andrew Church was Treasurer from 1955-61. Vice-President from 1961-67, and President 1967-71. He was awarded the 50th Anniversary Gold Medal by Parishioners of St. Andrew Church for his devoted services and leadership. In 1977 His All Holiness Patriarch Demetrios conferred upon him the Offikion, Archon Hieromnimon.

Mr. Cantonis was a native of the Greek Island of Symi. He graduated from the Panormition High School on Symi and Athens College in Athens, and then imigrated to Florida. Later he moved to New York and was a Chicago resident thirty years before returning to Florida to establish his present home in Tarpon Springs.
Mr. Cantonis is a member of the Order of Ahepa and several lodges in the Chicago area, and he became an honorary citizen of Tarpon Springs while still a resident of Chicago. He also received the “Award of Excellence” from Sears Roebuck Co. And is presently the Executive President of Acme Sponge and Chamois Company of Tarpon Springs.

Anthony Chapekis, Dikaiophylax
Chicago
March 09, 2003

The Hon. Jeffery G. Chrones, Esq., Dikaiophylax
Chicago
October 31, 2020

Judge Chrones currently serves as a Circuit Court Judge in Chicago after almost 20 years tenure as an equity shareholder of a law firm in Chicago.

Judge Chrones has been a parish council member of St. Andrew’s for 25 years consecutively.  At the request of Metropolitan Nathanael, he also serves as an interim parish council member for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church for the last three years. Ecumenically, he and his wife established a scholarship fund, the Nikolaos Karnezos Patriarchal Scholarship Fund, for the benefit of the Patriarchate to educate young people of Greek descent living in Turkey. The scholarship is distributed at the sole discretion of the Patriarch and is the only such scholarship to exist worldwide.  Thus far, $100,000 has been sent to the Patriarchate.

Judge Chrones is also very active in the Greek community serving as a Director of the HBA for over a decade,  being an active member of the Hellenic Society of Constantinople for over 25 years, and working with the Archons to further their goals prior to becoming an Archon.

Thomas Dallas, Hartophylax
Chicago
March 16, 1997

Born in Greece on August 13, 1937, Thomas N. Dallas has resided in the United States since 1958. When he became a U.S. citizen, he changed his name from Andreas N. Kanaloupitis to Thomas N. Dallas. He graduated with Honors and High Distinction in Accounting from the University of Illinois and is fully accredited by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as an Enrolled Agent and was admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. He has owned CBS Accounting for 28 years.

For over 15 years, he has served in many capacities on the Parish Council of St. Andrew Church, where he is currently Board President. He has served on the Board of Greek Education of the Chicago Diocese. He has served as the Secretary of the Northshore Chapter 94 of the AHEPA and was elected Trustee in Village of Lincolnwood Board of Directors, Police Department Pension Board since 1994.
The high honor of Archon Hartophylax was conferred on Thomas N. Dallas in 1997 by His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York. Mr. Dallas is supportive of the Ecumenical Patriarchate the Parish of St. Andrew, the Diocese of Chicago, the Archdiocese of the Americas, Orthodoxy in Africa and Albania and the Church of Greece.

Paul Demos , Archon Megas Dikaiophylax 

In 1949 Paul Demos travelled to Constantinople with Patriarch-elect Athenagoras on the “Sacred Cow”, the Presidential airplane provided by President Harry S. Truman to carry the newly elected Patriarch to his enthronement at the Patriarchate. He accompanied him again in 1967 when the Patriarch met with Pope Paul in Constantinople, and he received a medal from the Pope for his Ecumenical concern. Mr. Demos is believed to be the first Archon of our Archdiocese appointed by Patriarch Athenagoras. He conferred upon him the title of Archon Megas Dikaiophylax at The Patriarchate. From 1949 until the Patriarch’s death in 1972. Mr. Demos made annual pilgrimages to Constantinople. 

A native to Kalyvia, Phenou, Corinth. Mr. Demos graduated from the Chicago Law School and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1916. He is a founder and past President of the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois, and he sponsored the introduction of Modern Greek Language studies into the curriculum of Chicago’s public high schools. In 1933 he was a Commissioner of the Chicago Century of Progress, the World’s Fair of 1933-34, and during World War II he served actively in the Greek War Relief program. Throughout his career, her has been a leader in Chicago’s Greek Community, known especially for helping other Greek immigrants establish themselves in the legal profession. 
In 1926 Mr. Demos was one of the founders of St. Andrew Church in Chicago, and was elected the first President of this Community. Honored many times for his dedication to Church and Community, he received the Medal of St. Paul from Archbishop Iakovos in St. Andrew Church the 22^nd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in 1974. 

Alec K. Gianaras, Archon Depoutatos

Alec Gianaras is a past President of St. Andrews Church in Chicago and has served for many years as a member of the Parish Council. He is a past President of the Hellenic Foundation of Chicago and a senior member of the Board. A former Trustee of Hellenic College, he is a benefactor of many Archdiocese projects.
The title of Archon Depoutatos was conferred upon him by Archbishop Iakovos. Mr. Gianras has been the recipient of the Service Award of Chicago’s Greek Independence Day, and in 1971 he received the City’s Anti-Defamation League Award. In 1975 he was publicly awarded the plaque appreciation from the Little City Foundation, the Hellenic Cultural Center, and in 1967, Mr. Gianaras received the Torch Award for the City of Hope.

Mr. Gianaras attended Northwestern University School of Commerce, and is engaged in the transformer manufacturing business as President of Transformers Manufacturing Inc. The First National Bank of Deerfield has Mr. Gianaras as the Vice-Chairman of their Board of Directors, and he is President of the Little City Foundation and Director of the Bank of Oak Brook Terrace.
He has served on the Board of Directors for Argos Sound Inc, and is President of G-2 Investment Corp and Austin-Sherman Apts Inc, and a Vice-President of Davis Electric Co. In Cape Girardeau.

Alexander A. Gianaras, Archon Laosynakis

+ Christ N. Karafotias, Ekdikos

John Marks, Depoutatos
Chicago
October 23, 1982

Anthony Nichols, Archon Notarios

A man of commitment to church and community, Anthony Nichols was named “Hellene of the Year” in 1998. He has served many constituencies including the Archdiocese’s Orthodox Ministry ACCESS, Chicago’s Diocesan Council, St. Andrew’s Church, Hellenic Foundation, United Hellenic American Congress as Chairman of Greek Heritage, Order of AHEPA, Life Trustee Religious of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s Daughters of Charity Hospital Board and Foundation, Greater Chicago Broadcast Ministries, Chicago Bible Society, Judge Geroulis Scholarship Fund, Lakeview Citizens Council, and Chicago Academy of Sciences.
He was President of Central Federal Savings, founded in 1893, and recognized as being instrumental in the renewal and development of Chicago’s LakeView and Lincoln Park communities. Professional activities included directorships in numerous banking organizations, such as America’s Community Bankers and Illinois League Institutions.

In 1991 His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos honored him as Archon Notarios at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York.

Andrew (Andreas) Tzakis, Archon Notarios 

     Andrew Tzakis had the title of Archon Notarios bestowed upon him in 1999, by his Eminence Archbishop Spyridon at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City. 

Mr. Tzakis was born in Chicago and after attending High School, he entered De Paul University graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree. At that time he had been employed by the State of Illinois as a Certified Public Accountant. Working his way up, he later served as as Chairman of the Board of the White Stokes Company, a manufacturer of candy and bakery ingredients. 

A dedicated churchman, Mr. Tzakis, was an active member in supporting his Parish of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago for more than 41 years. During those years he faithfully served the parish as President, Vice President and Secretary of the Parish Council. 

Constantinos Zografopoulos, Eftaxias
Chicago
November 01, 2009

Constantine M. Zografopoulos of St. Andrew in Chicago, IL, was invested as Archon in 2009 and conferred with the offikion Eftaxias.

Archon Zografopoulos has served many years on the Parish Council. He has also served two terms on the Chicago Metropolis Council.

After a tragic automobile accident, as a result of which both of his legs were amputated, Archon Zografopoulos has dedicated himself to bettering the lives of the handicapped. He has assisted the National Philoptochos distribute wheelchairs in Greece and frequently consults with airline pilots and attendants, both in the United States and abroad, on how to assist travelers with disabilities. He sits on many advisory boards and councils in Illinois and internationally that deal with the issues of disability. One of his goals is to make sure that all churches in the Holy Metropolis of Chicago and in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America as a whole are handicap accessible.

A graduate of Roosevelt University with a MS in International Business (1991), Archon Zografopoulos has been engaged in the real estate and food service industries.