PRESIDENT - Mr Nicholas Katris

Nicholas expertise and career is in the discipline of Architecture and Interior Design. He has been a member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects since 1981.

His strong interest in Greek Culture and History lead him into further Studies in Classics and Archaeology enjoys part time teaching in Design History at Tertiary level.

He has a lifetime experience from his involvement in community affairs since 1960”s and is an honorary life member of a number of organizations. In 2001 he received the Centenary Metal Award for Services to the Greek Community.

His interests and hobbies are in Art, History, Research, Sport and his involvement with AGWS since 1995.

He enjoys the outdoors and his discipline to handle a busy schedule is derived from his long time and continuous active involvement in sport, community life, and work.

Nicholas joined the Board in 1995 and served as a Chairperson in 1998 and 1999. He is now serving his fifth term as President, a commitment and responsibility that has become part of his daily routine and life.

CHAIRPERSON - Ms Anastasia Contos

Anastasia's qualifications are: BA (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Mental Health (Clinical Hypnosis) (University of Melbourne) and Masters in Family Therapy (Latrobe University). She has conducted research on the impact of traumatic brain injury on couples and families and has a specialised interest in trauma and grief as well as ethics.

Anastasia is a Clinical Member of the Victorian Association of Family Therapists and a Member of the Australian Psychologists Society. She is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist.

Anastasia has worked as a psychologist and project leader in the community, educational and psychiatric sectors for twenty years. She has worked in the areas of migrant and ethnic affairs as well as with people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and is committed to high ethical standards in practice as well as working towards social justice.

Currently Anastasia works in private practice as a Human Services Consultant and also provides a clinical service to individuals, couples and families as well as training and supervising practitioners in the field. She sits on the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Austin Health as the counselling expert. Her involvement on the Board of the Australian Greek Welfare Society provides her with the opportunity to make a contribution to the Greek Australian community.

Hon. SECRETARY - Ms Litsa Kypuros

Litsa has had over 20 years experience as a Speech Pathologist and Audiologist. In addition to her private practice, she currently works for Student Support Services in the Department of Education and Training in the Northern Metropolitan Region. She has served on curriculum development teams, staff training program initiatives and as a School consultant. Litsa has a special interest in working with children with Autism, learning difficulties and other developmental delays.

Her interests continue to be in people and how they communicate - areas in which she has amassed considerable knowledge and practical experience. Always eager to expand her skills, take on new projects and contribute to others in a practical way.

TREASURER - Mr George Spiliotis

George’s first involvement with the AGWS was as a founding volunteer with the Australian Greek Welfare Legal Information Referral Service and remained a volunteer with the Referral Service for a number of years.

George is a lawyer with considerable experience in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Employment Law. He is currently a member of the Court Practice Committee for Litigation Lawyers Section of the Law Institute of Victoria and has been a member of other Committees.

His passion for golf has led him to become the Secretary of the Australian Hellenic Golf Federation which organises the Annual Australian Hellenic Golf Open, as well Junior Golf Clinics. The aims of the Federation include fostering relationships between the Australian and Greek Golfing Communities, increasing the awareness of the noble game of golf in the Greek Community, as well as financially assisting organisations such as Australian Greek Welfare Society.

George joined the Board in late 2006. Although not having previously worked in the Community Services sector, George looks forward to his involvement with the Board as means of contributing to the work undertaken by the Australian Greek Welfare Society.

DIRECTOR - Dr. Magdalena Simonis

Magdalena Simonis joined the AGWS Board of Directors in 2009.

She is a General Practitioner, who graduated with MB., BS qualifications from the University of Melbourne in 1986.

Magdalena is a Fellow of The Royal College of General Practitioners, also holds a diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.  Her career objectives include a commitment to disease prevention and empowerment of migrant men and women.

Her interests include Medical Advocacy and Medical Ethics.  She is on the committee of the Victorian Medical Women’s Society and The Greek Conference Organisation.  The latter raises funds for the Murdoch children’s Research Institute.  Magdalena is also a member of the Victoria Medico-Legal Society.

As an Australian born of Greek migrant parents, who works in full time General Practice, Magdalena is keenly aware of the ongoing need to bridge gaps between our expansive Greek community and the social and support services that either are available or need to be created to deliver the standard of care and support that are increasingly needed as the population ages and family structure along with socio-cultural dynamics change.

DIRECTOR - Ms Krisanthi Stamboulidis

Krisanthi’s qualifications are a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education where she majored in Greek, English and ESL. She also has a Certificate II in Applied Language for Spanish.

She has been involved with the teaching of Greek and the maintenance of all aspects of Greek culture in school, at several Saturday morning Greek schools and in private tutoring from 1984 to 1994 and in 2005. While teaching, as a secondary teacher, she was the Languages coordinator for 5 years, securing an International Teaching Fellow to assist with LOTE material development. Krisanthi has been involved in various projects of Greek curriculum writing, for advanced and beginner programmes, for secondary schools in years 9, 10 and VCE. She was successfully selected for a scholarship, the Australian/Greek Travel Award which enabled her to study at the Aristoteleion University, in Thessaloniki.

She has experience of being a member on several committees, like the Executive council of the MGTAV, the Curriculum, LAC and Northcote Network committees and as a parent on several kindergarten and primary school committees.

Krisanthi is working with the family business, a food distribution company, since 1985. While living abroad, in South America, in 2005/2006, she participated in greek language classes in Tsakos Adult Education Centre on a casual basis. Her love of languages is so strong that she is still undergoing studies in Spanish.

Her ongoing involvement in the Greek community is still very strong, having been a general member on the Board of The Australian Greek Welfare Society for three years.

DIRECTOR - Ms Ivy Fatouros Mimilidis

Ivy' qualifications are a Bachelor of Arts (La Trobe University), a Diploma of Education (Melbourne College of Advanced Education) and a Diploma in Interior Decoration (Melbourne College of Decoration).

Ivy has extensive experience as a secondary school teacher in the disciplines of History, English and Modern Greek, particularly in the middle to senior years and has undertaken numerous roles in educational leadership. She is passionate about improving the learning outcomes of young people, extending their life experiences and providing a mentoring role in their emotional and intellectual development. She derives tremendous satisfaction in observing her students succeed in their respective careers.

Ivy's interests are in Art History, Literature and the Decorative Arts. She has also worked as an interior decorator.

Ivy has the utmost respect for the elderly in the Greek community and an appreciation of the sacrifices and contributions they have made in sustaining the Greek traditions and maintaining the values of family life . She joined the Board of the Australian Greek Welfare Society in 2007 as a way of making a positive contribution to the welfare of Greek Australians and utilizing her educational expertise in forging constructive links with the younger generation in addressing the key issues.