Paul Kotrotsios

Pavlos Kotrotsios was born in Greece. After his graduation from high school he continued his studies at the University of Thessaloniki and he graduated from the Economics Department of the Industrial School in 1979. Then he came to the United States for his Masters degree in EPFS at the University of Pennsylvania and continued his studies at St. Joseph's University of Philadelphia, where he graduated with an MBA in Management.

With his wife Iliada (Linda) Kotrotsios, who studied in paramedical school, CFO (today in Ethno-Communications, Inc,) they have three children. Pavlos Kotrotsios, after his graduation of Industrial School of the University of Thessaloniki in 1979, undertook postgraduate studies in the field of Business Administration, MBA with specialty in Management-Marketing and Public relations in Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia (class 1984).  Publisher and manager of Hellenic News of America since 1987.  Soon, after his graduation, Mr. Kotrotsios began to develop his professional occupation and published the only Hellenic bilingual newspaper “Hellenic News of America” in 1987.  With invaluable help of friends from the university, Dr. Michael Papaioannou (Member of the IMF today) and Mr. Dimitris Monos (Children's hospital in Philadelphia) together with many other Hellenic Americans and friends shared and still share the same dream and goals about the Greek American Community in relation to Greece and the United States. The newspaper became one of the most important bilingual mass media of the Ethnic community in the USA today.  From 1980-87, Paul was the general manager of Greek Radio Network of America and later 1987-90 was at the head Representative Office’s tasks of (EKTE) in Philadelphia. EKTE began to operate in 1982.

He is the founder and president of the only Hellenic-American Organization that promotes commercial, cultural, and economic relations between Greece and countries from Southeastern Europe, Cyprus and America, the Hermes Expo International.  He is a founding member of the US- Hellenic-American Chamber, member of the Economic Chamber of Greece and founding member of the US Greece Business Advisory Council of Greater Philadelphia, PA since 2000, with the signing of a business and cultural cooperation pact between city of Philadelphia and city of Thessaloniki as a top event.  Besides his great professional activity, Mr. Kotrotsios from the first years he arrived in USA actively took part in various organizations of the omogenia. He is a founding member and today is serving as President of the “Hellenic-American National Council” of North America (HANC), the umbrella organization of all Hellenic American Federations (Elected on May 1, 2010). He is one of the 17 Members of the Journalist’s Board of Directors of Council of Hellenes Abroad (S.A.E since 1995) ELLOME and OLOMME and a Member of the AHI “American Hellenic Institute”, Washington, DC since 1982.  He served as president of the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of Philadelphia and Delaware Valley, USA 1988-1992, and is an active member of the Board of Directors today.

President of the “Epirotes Society of Philadelphia” and member of the “Pan-Epirotic Federation”.  Member of the Board of Directors of the American Organization of Philadelphia Suburbs “Press Club” since 2006. Member of “Pennsylvania Publishers Association” since 1987. Member of the Board of Directors of the organization “Plant your roots in Greece” and member of many other charitable organizations since 1998.Every year since 1992, he has actively participates and organizes various cultural events and symposiums in order to promote the Greek American community and the diachronic Greek principles, culture and a better understanding of current national issues to our fellow Americans friends and neighbors. He also takes part in Anniversary Celebration Events, cultural events, having excellent cooperation with every part, American and Greek Representatives.  He is the main sponsor and organizer of the annual Symposium in the context of “Hermes Expo” with significant economic, diplomatic, business, educational presences and important speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, America, Greece and the South Eastern European Countries with topics such as:

• Globalization of Market
•  Internationalization of Education
• The Eurozone Crisis and How Does it Affect Tourism on Both Sides of the Atlantic
  
• Mediterranean Nutrition
• USA - Greece - Balkans: Challenges and Prospects of a Business
  

Member of several committees for the financial support and election and re-election of Hellenic-American, friends of Greece such as Michael S. Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, Michael Pappas, Steve Korodimos, Gus Bilirakis, Zack Space, Lou Raptakis, Kostas Alexakis, Charlie Krist, John Sarbanes, Curt Weldon, Robert Andrews, Arlen Specter, Frank Lo Biondo, Ed Rendell.In 2000 he founded the Business Association US Greece Business Advisory Council in Philadelphia, US-GBAC and through the exhibition Hermes Expo played important role in the signing of a pact for trade and cultural collaboration between the Municipality of Thessaloniki and organizations from the wider area of Philadelphia PA, USA. Parts of this association are the city of Philadelphia, the International Trade Center, Bureau of Diplomatic Corps and a large group of prominent businessmen from the East Coast of USA. A result of this agreement is the creation of a branch of the international trade center in Thessaloniki and trade shipments to and from Thessaloniki as well as the connection of the organization of the port of Thessaloniki with the port of Philadelphia, Baltimore and Panama.  He was honored by the foundation of Nasos Botsis with a special award which was bestowed upon him by the president of the Hellenic Republic, the Honorable Karolos Papoulias, as a reward for his contribution to the promotion of the Greek culture and ideals in the United States, for the updating of the fellow Greek Americans and Phil- Hellenes and for the creation of a strong bond with the motherland country as a publisher of the newspaper the Hellenic News of America.  He was also honored with special credits for his effective participation by various forums and organizations:

• PanRodian Association, Baltimore,MD
• Pan Gregorian Enterprises, Inc.,
• Chamber of Commerce Philadelphia and the
• Federation of Hellenic American Societies of Philadelphia
• AFGLC American Foundation for the Greek Language and Culture

Today he is leading a multi-member committee of cultural events, sharing the dream with family, supporters and friends, that has as a goal to to bring the community together, to inform and unite, to promote and support Greek and American charitable organizations as a part of the celebration for the 25 years of the Bi-lingual newspaper the Hellenic News of America and the 20 years of action of the business exhibition Hermes Expo.

For more information about other activities of Paul Kotrotsios please visit:  hellenicnews.com, youtubechannel