Village of Niles Mayor George D. Alpogianis, at the invitation of President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, attended a celebration of Greek Independence Day at the White House on March 29, 2023. The ceremony marked the 202nd anniversary of Greece’s independence, and was attended by politicians, celebrities, Greek-American community leaders, and Archbishop Elpidophoros—Archbishop of America for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. This invitation to the White House is the second for Mayor Alpogianis, following his attendance at an event honoring Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in May 2022.
At the event, President Biden commented on the great impact that Greek-American leaders have had on his own government career. The featured celebrity guest was singer Rita Wilson, along with her husband, actor Tom Hanks. Wilson performed several songs for the crowd in attendance.
“It is a great honor for the Village of Niles to receive this invitation,” said Mayor Alpogianis. “I am humbled to be asked to visit Washington, and to do so is a great opportunity to represent the great people of Niles and to promote the wonderful initiatives we have going on in our town."
The visit to Washington also served as an opportunity for Mayor Alpogianis to network with Niles’ congressional representatives. The Village of Niles aggressively pursues grants and other Federal funding opportunities, and face-to-face collaboration with representatives is an important step in securing future grants for projects in Niles.
View this Press Release as a PDF