BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ON STEFANOS P.
TAMVAKIS
Stefanos
P. Tamvakis was born on the 27th
of June 1952 in Alexandria. He
studied at Averofion school of
Alexandria and later, at
Cambridge, UK, Business
Administration.
He
speaks fluently Greek, French,
English and Arabic.
In
1976 he returned to Egypt and
took over the family business,
in food manufacturing, St’
George’s, est. 1905, along with
his cousin Stefanos Th. Tamvakis.
His
community activities began in
1976, at his election, as a
member of the philanthropic
society Aeschylus – Arion,
following the steps of his
father, Paul Tamvakis, who once
served President of the society.
In
1984 he was elected board member
of the Greek Community of
Alexandria (EKA). His first
concern was the reform and
development of the Community’s
Old People’s Home “Kaniskeri-Andoniadi”.
In
1990 he was elected President of
the Greek Community at the age
of 38.
In
1995 he was elected Vice-President
of the World Council of Hellenes
Abroad (SAE), and was
unanimously re-elected 3 times.
As
SAE Vice-president he steadily
developed the communication
network of the Greeks that live
in the region of Asia-Africa and
advanced its coherence. His
belief is that the Greeks of
Asia and Africa are a single,
united entity regardless the
countries they stay, a
prescription of the special
conditions that exist in these
countries. He organized one
regional conference ( 1997 in
Egypt ) and two conferences of
the Youth network ( 1999 in
Alexandria and 2001 in
Johannesburg )
He
advanced the cooperation with
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, the Patriarchate
of Alexandria and the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
In
2001 he participated in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
mission to Sudan, which was
aiming to a fair and just trial
of two Greeks that were being
held at Sudanese prisons.
In
December 2001 he was elected
Alternate President of SAE and
was assigned to look over and
coordinate the organization’s
communication and handling of
youth and educational issues.
In
March 2002 he stepped down from
the presidency of the Greek
Community of Alexandria and was
unanimously awarded, the title
“Honorary President of the
Community”.
During
his service as President of EKA
he organized the historic
celebrations of the 150 years of
the Community’s existence, in
1993. He also, greatly assisted
the mission, and installation,
in Alexandria, of Alexander the
Great’ s statue, a donation of
Greeks of Egypt who live in
Greece and Egypt.
He
re-established the community
press in Egypt, with the
publication of the newspaper
“Patrida” and in the meantime
aimed and succeeded, in
advancing an even closer
collaboration with the Greek
Community of Cairo.
His
good relations with the Egyptian
government and close cooperation
with the governors of Alexandria
are an important element in
promoting issues of concern to
the Greeks of Egypt and
Hellenism in general.
In May 2003 he
was elected Board Member of the
“Alexander S. Onassis”
Foundation. His communication
and cooperation with Foundation,
dates back to the days of his
Presidency at the Greek
Community.
In December 2003
he was re-elected SAE Alternate
President.
In Decemver 2006
he was elected SAE President
He was honoured
by the President of the Greek
Republic Mr.Konstandinos
Stefanopoulos with the Golden
Cross of the Order of Phoenix .
He was decorated by the late
Patriarch of Alexandria,
Parthenios with the highest
distinction of St. Marks the
Evangelist. He was also
decorated by the deceased
Patriarch of Alexandria and all
Africa, Petros the XII with the
High Cross of the Patriarchial
rank of St. Sava, which is the
Master of Ceremonies, as well as
by the Patriarch of All
Russia,Alexios the I.
On the
professional sphere, he develops
and expands, along with his
cousin, Stefanos Th. Tamvakis,
one of the most famous food
industries in Egypt, St’
George’s, established 1905.
Alexandria
Egypt.