Dear Hellenic Bar Association Member / Prospective New Member:
 
The newly elected Board of Directors of the Hellenic Bar Association, (“HBA”) is gearing up for what we anticipate to be two (2) years full of events and activities. We hope the momentum will reinvigorate the organization and get us to new levels of member participation and involvement.  
 
We anticipate promoting various events to achieve our goals and maintain the vitality and growth of the organization.  We recently had an event on issues of Inheritance in Greece by Steven N. Kourtis of Fortsakis, Diakopoulos, Mylonogiannis & Associates of Athens, Greece at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Brookline, Massachusetts. We also plan a panel presentation of lawyers from Greece, with the hope of educating our members on opportunities that may exist throughout the European Union, particularly with the major oil and gas pipelines being constructed in and around Greece. We are also considering organizing the first conference with the Athens Bar Association in Athens sometime in 2009.  
 
We also believe that our organization should become involved with the Hellenic American Societies of New England, the umbrella organization of all the Greek-American organizations in the New England area. In the same context, we expect to engage in dialogue with Metropolitan Methodios to see how our members can provide pro bono services to parishioners of our churches that cannot afford lawyers.  
 
We will provide to all of you a periodic schedule of our events and the dates of our Board meetings to that everyone can join us during such times. On behalf of the HBA, I invite you to become a member or to renew your membership in the organization and to help us develop new activities, programs and expand our membership. If you wish to serve on event committees, host regional events for the HBA, help with membership development, or are interested in potential board or committee involvement, please contact any of the Officers or Board Members directly, as listed in the enclosed HBA directory.
 
On behalf of the HBA, thank you for your continued support.  I look forward to working with all of you to take the HBA to a new level of community and professional involvement.

Very truly yours,
 
DIMITRIOS IOANNIDIS