The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle is pleased to announce that George E. Safiol, Archon Archiophylax, has been nominated as the recipient of this year’s Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. Archon Safiol has been a member of the Order’s governing body, the National Council, for nearly 20 years and served as Chairman of the Audit Committee and of the Bouras Award for the last seven years. A special tribute dinner dance will be held at the New York Athletic Club, Friday evening, Oct. 26, as part of the Order’s annual three-day assembly, Oct. 26-28.
National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, MD, said, “Archon Safiol has exemplified tremendous stewardship of time, talent and resources in support of the Mother Church of Constantinople, the Orthodox Christian Church throughout the United States, and to the mission of the Order of Saint Andrew in which all children of God should be granted religious freedom as a fundamental, inalienable human right. With the blessings of Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America, the National Council deemed it most appropriate to recognize his efforts and name him as the recipient of this prestigious Award in recognition of the extraordinary service exemplified by National Vice Commander Bouras of blessed memory.”
Archon George E. Safiol
Archon Safiol is a true son of the Holy Mother Church, a servant leader at all levels. An Archon since 1997, he has served for nearly 20 years on the National Council, including stints as Chairman of the Audit Committee and the Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship. While serving on the Archdiocesan Council, he was a member of its Executive Committee. A fulfilled member of Leadership 100, Archon Safiol has served as L100 Treasurer and on its Executive Committee and has been a member of the L100 Board of Trustees for 21 years. He was instrumental in launching, with the approval of Archbishop Demetrios, the $10 million Hellenic College, Holy Cross School of Theology Sponsorship Program which was initiated to provide scholarships to our seminarians and address the shortage of priests in America ($1 million/year for ten years). To date, over $18 million has been provided to the school and has yielded over 200 ordained priests, plus a full pipeline of students at Holy Cross. While on the Board of HC/HC he served as Treasurer and member of the Executive Committee and chaired the Nicholas J. Bouras Golf Outing, a major fundraiser for the School. Archon Safiol was awarded the first-ever President’s Award. Archon Safiol was also involved in the re-paving of all the ways and byways of St. Basil Academy working closely with Archon Bouras, a major benefactor.
George E. Safiol, noted business leader and philanthropist, is a graduate of New York University’s College of Engineering in 1954 and was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he served with distinction. Archon Safiol began his career at ITT in 1957, where he was mentored by Harold Geneen, legendary CEO of the company. Archon Safiol rose to become vice president and general manager of ITT’s U.S. Telecommunications Business. He subsequently joined General Instrument Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, and rose to become Senior Vice President. Subsequently he joined American Biltrite Inc., a $200-million company, serving as president, chief executive officer, and director. In 1984 he rejoined General Instrument Corporation, and quickly rose to become the company’s president, COO, and director, positions he held until his retirement in 1991.
Archon Safiol has been a significant benefactor to the College at New York University and has received its Distinguished Alumni Award, presented annually. He endowed the George E. Safiol Prize for Meritocracy in honor of Harold Geneen which is awarded each year to an outstanding student. Archon Safiol has also endowed two seminars in Leadership and Integrity to be conducted annually, the College, and served on the Dean’s Advisory Council.
Archon Safiol was on the Board of Advisors of the University of Mississippi, a guest lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, and has been a director of seven industrial/electronic companies. He also received the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award.
Archon Safiol was married to Demetra Karambelas Safiol, of blessed memory, for sixty years and they have three married children, Olympia, Peter, and Christina, and eight grandchildren. The Safiol Family Foundation has donated generously to the Orthodox Church and institutions of higher education and medicine.
About the Nicholas J. Bouras Award for Extraordinary Archon Stewardship
The National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew unanimously voted in 2010 to establish the Nicholas J. Bouras Award. The Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary and incomparable stewardship to the Order, enabling Archons to vigorously pursue securing religious freedom for the Mother Church of Constantinople.
The Award is named after the late National Vice Commander Nicholas J. Bouras, Archon Depoutatos, who demonstrated remarkable leadership as a faithful son of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and exemplary steward of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Churchman, World War II hero, devoted husband of his beloved late wife Anna, Philanthropist, sincere Christian, Archon par excellence and Industrialist are terms that have all described the life of Nicholas J. Bouras.
Past recipients of the Award have included George D. Behrakis (2011), James C. Fountas and John Halecky, Jr. (2012), Stephen J. Yallourakis, M.D., D.D.S. (2013), Christopher Stratakis, Esq. (2014), the Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas (2015), Theofanis V. Economidis (2016) and John A. Catsimatidis (2017).
