Our Candidates for the 2019 Parish Council Elections

In accordance with the Parish Council’s mission to keep, practice and proclaim the Orthodox Christian Faith pure and undefiled, it is with humility and deep love and faith in our Lord and Savior that I offer my name for consideration to become a member of our beloved church’s Parish Council. Council members are servant leaders. They offer their gifts to the community not from a sense of control, but from a sense of shared responsibility. They seek the will of God for their parish through open hearts and minds. It is my sincere intent to lead by this very example.

Alexandros is a Computer Engineer who was born in Kavala, Greece and has lived and worked in Greece, UK and the US. He has been a St Nicholas parishioner since 2012 when he permanently moved to San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Eleni. He has served as Board Member and President of the Hellenic Student Association in the university of Illinois during his PhD studies. Alexandros has served as project lead and team coordinator during his 20-year long career in the semiconductor industry and has demonstrated significant volunteering effort in various organizations and causes. With his wife Eleni and his three kids they enjoy being part of the St Nicholas community and participating in its religious and other activities.

My name is Bassilios Petrakis. I was born in Jerusalem, Israel. I came to the United States in 1984 to attend college. I graduated with a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. Shortly after graduation, I moved to San Jose and joined the Saint Nicholas community. I’ve been a steward ever since.

I have been with Cadence Design Systems for over twenty years, currently as a Sales Engineering Manager and previously as a Director of Marketing. My wife Georgia and I have been blessed with two daughters, Eleni and Evangelia. During my years in the community, I not only participated in the Choir, but had the honor of directing the Youth Choir and the St Nicholas Choral group, Syrenes. I was previously an active supporter of Saint Nicholas’s Vacation Church School Summer Program and am currently involved in the Missions Ministry.

I am excited for this opportunity to serve my church as a member of the Parish Council. I look forward to supporting the current efforts to re-energize the youth programs of our community. I strongly believe that our youth is the future of this parish. I earnestly wish to instill the importance of the Saint Nicholas parish to our youth, specifically the importance of our community as a cultural and spiritual foundation for life.

Member of St. Nicholas Parish 22 years
Married to Ruth Duterte
Raised 6 children
Past President and Member of Parish Council at Prophet Elias Church in Santa Cruz 1980's
Sub-Deacon with Fr. Mel Weber at Prophet Elias Church in Santa Cruz
Physician Volunteer at St Nicholas Summer Camp at the Ranch,
Physician Volunteer at Ascension Cathedral Summer Camp 5 years
Physician Volunteer at Boy Scout Summer Camps
Clinical Faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine
Retired Pediatrician at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center October 2019
One of Founding Members of Crisis Pregnancy Center Union City 1979-1985

Demetrious (Jimmy) Barrous has been a proud member of St. Nicholas his whole life. Since his retirement 2015 he has dedicated countless hours to serving the community: whether it be cooking for various church functions, fixing coffee machines, or running around making sure the all booths at the festival have what they need. In other words he’s St. Nicholas’s Mr. Fix-it. Him and his wife, Elizabeth, are grateful to be a part of this community. In his free time Jimmy likes to walk his dogs, help his friends, talk to his neighbors and, most importantly, spend time with his family.

Harry Mavrogenes has been a dedicated member of St. Nicholas since the 1970s. He has served on Parish Council since 2018 as VP. Originally from Chicago, Harry received his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning from SFSU. He was previously Assistant City Manger of Miami Beach, Executive Director of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, Deputy County Administrator of San Joaquin County, Airport Director of Stockton Metropolitan Airport. He currently is the Director of the San Benito County Resource Management Agency (Building, Planning, & Public Works). In his free time Harry enjoys gardening and spending time with family.

Jeff Contos.

Olga Mavrogenes has been an active member of the St. Nicholas community for as long as she can remember. You may recognize her from the narthex, giving out change. Her involvement started when she became dance parent rep of Axios from 2010 - 2018 and also served as a member on Parish Council from 2011 - 2017. Currently, she volunteers 20 hours of her week as the church’s accountant. Olga holds a Bachelors of Science degree in chemistry from SJSU (Go Spartans!). In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and cooking her world famous spaghetti.

Paul Pries has been an active member of the Parish Council for over 30 years. You will find Paul at the Narthex on Sundays greeting parishioners and visitors with a warm smile! He dedicates all his spare time to serving the church by volunteering at the festival, cooking for church fundraisers, and doing repairs on the church grounds. Due to his devotion to the church, Paul has been given the title of Archon by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Paul would like to serve you and our church community by continuing his role on the Parish Council.

I was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and I came to Silicon Valley for doctorate studies in Computer Engineering at Stanford University. My wife, my 3 kids and I feel blessed to be part of the faithful and lively orthodox community of Saint Nicholas for almost 10 years. As a Saint Nicholas parishioner, I have helped revamp our web site, our social media presence and revitalize our Greek School. God willing and with the blessing of our priests, I will be glad to contribute to greater financial transparency and inclusion of the community in our decision-making processes.

Member of St. Nicholas Parish 22 years
Married to Dr. Brendan 43 years
Raised 6 children
Oversight of Children's Booth at Parish Greek Festival 20 years
Philoptochos Board member
Member of Missions Board
Volunteer at St Nicholas Summer Camp at the Ranch
Currently on the Board of the Fall "Senior Camp/Resort" at St. Nicholas Ranch
Liaison to REAL OPTIONS (Crisis Pregnancy Center) on the Alameda, San Jose

Taki Chalioris, an active member of Saint Nicholas, wants to see the church grow! Taki is on the Greek School Board, and spends most of his off time here, at Saint Nicholas. Born in Greece, Taki made this his home upping marrying his lovely wife, Maria Pries. They are raising their three beautiful daughters, Kalliopi, Kyriaki and Apostolia to be active members as well! Taki wants the best for our Church community. Vote for him to see him in action.

My name is Theodoros and I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. I came to the United States for graduate studies in Chemical Engineering and have worked in the Semiconductor field for the last 20 years. I joined the St. Nicholas community 16+ years ago when I married my wife Dina (Maroudas) who was born and raised in this parish. We are blessed with 3 girls and are thankful for this wonderful community to support them in their spiritual upbringing. I believe our Greek Orthodox faith is our most precious gift and as a Parish Council member would work diligently to support our Church's needs in that spirit. This includes fostering a culture of love and respect so that St. Nicholas is a sanctuary for people from all walks of life --- our young, senior citizens, converts, immigrants, etc.