Greek
Spanish
PolishJune 22, 2012 — National Hellenic Museum Welcomes New Staff
June 22, 2012
New Director Connie Mourtoupalas Sets Sights on Raising Museum’s National and International Profile
CHICAGO (June 22, 2012) — The National Hellenic Museum announces new executive team to be led by Museum Director Connie Mourtoupalas, whose family emigrated to the United States in 1966. Ms. Mourtoupalas joins the Museum after 16 years at the Embassy of Greece in Washington,DC, where she served as Cultural Attaché, initiating, developing and managing the Embassy’s cultural and public outreach programs. In this capacity, she collaborated with many major American cultural institutions, such as the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and facilitated extensive cultural exchanges between Greece and the United States. Ms. Mourtoupalas also served as Public Affairs Advisor to the Ambassador, establishing relationships with the U.S. Congress and Administration, major media outlets, the diplomatic community, think-tanks, museums, cultural centers, universities and Greek American organizations nationwide.
“With her years of service promoting Hellenic culture and developing public programs and exhibits, as well as her own personal experience as an immigrant, Ms. Mourtoupalas brings the professional experience and vision needed to make the National Hellenic Museum a truly national museum,” said Board of Trustees Chairman John Calamos.
Connie Mourtoupalas was Co-Founder of “The American Friends of the New Acropolis Museum”, Founding Member of the National Council of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC, and also served as Executive Director of The Society for the Preservation of Greek Heritage.
According to Mourtoupalas, “The Museum and its beautiful new building are proof and testament of the commitment of the Chicago Greek American community to its Greek heritage and culture. Our aim is to make sure that the Museum is nationally and internationally recognized as the only museum in the U.S. that documents and presents the Greek path towards becoming American, the significant contributions of Greek Americans to American society and history, while also showcasing Greek culture and traditions through exhibits and public programs. Having immigrated to the United States myself, it is also very important to me and my family that our younger generations have a place to go that tells our story, their story, and presents a small part of American history.”
The museum also welcomes a new Director of Development, Tula Gogolak and Director of Marketing, Amelia Dellos. Tula Gogolak served as the Director of Community Relations and Development for Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana. During her tenure there, she increased philanthropic giving by 45 percent by creating and implementing the agency’s first financial development and marketing plans. Gogolak is currently the Vice President of Fundraising Professionals for the Northwest Indiana Chapter.
Amelia Dellos joins the Museum after working as a consultant at AED Communications, a firm she launched and operated for five years. There, she provided strategic marketing communications services for corporate and non-profit clients, creating and implementing marketing, public relations and social media programs. She developed and implemented marketing and promotional programs for organization such as Chicago magazine, CoolSavings.com, the League of Chicago Theatres, the Arts & Business Council of Chicago, and the Berghoff Catering and Restaurant Group.
TheNational Hellenic Museum, which opened December 2011, is located in a 40,000-square-foot space. The three-story LEED certified building is home to interactive exhibits, children’s education center, research library, oral history center, gift shop, special events hall, and rooftop terrace.
# # #
The National Hellenic Museum is the first and only major museum dedicated to chronicling the entire Greek story from the path to the United States, to becoming American, to the Greek contribution to the American historical landscape and culture. Now through August, meet Greek gods or climb into a 12-foot Trojan horse when you experience the family-friendly exhibit Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece. Museum hours are Tuesdays – Sundays. Located in the heart of Chicago’s famed Greektown on the corner of Halsted and Van Buren. For more information, visit www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.
