Manny Stamatakis, A Businessman With A Vision

Hellenic

LeadersSeries

The National Heraldc vNovember 2011 • Issue 1

Successful businessman. Devoted civic leader.

Tireless political fundraiser. Quiet philanthropist. Tenacious negotiator.

Loyal friend. Gifted speaker.

Philadelphia’s Manuel “Manny” N. Stamatakis is all of these things.

HELLENIC LEADERS2 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011

By Angelike ContisTNH Staff Writer

Successful business-man. Devoted civicleader. Tireless politi-cal fundraiser. Quietphilanthropist. Tena-

cious negotiator. Loyal friend.Gifted speaker. Philadelphia’sManuel “Manny” N. Stamatakisis all of these things. Stamatakis, 63, not only

founded and heads CapitalManagement Enterprises(CME), a leading benefits con-sulting company, but is very in-volved with two Philadelphia in-stitutions that he helped rescueand reinvent, Aker PhiladelphiaShipyard and Drexel UniversityCollege of Medicine. He is alsoChairman of the GreaterPhiladelphia Tourism MarketingCorporation and on the boardsof companies including CrowleyChemical Corporation and Mis-tras Group, Inc. to name but afew. Oh, and if you are a Republi-

can politician looking for somecampaign help, Stamatakis isyour man. He has helped raisemillions for campaigns. The businessman’s friends

marvel at his ability to give110% to so many roles. Dr.Richard Homan, the formerPresident and Dean of DrexelUniversity College of Medicine,remarks, “It’s astonishing. Idon’t know how he runs hiscompany and is so engaged inso many non-for-profit and phil-anthropic efforts.” Stamatakis’multitasking ability amazesEliana Papadakis, widow ofDrexel University’s PresidentConstantine “Taki” Papadakis.She notes: “He could be talkingto you and doing 10 otherthings at the same time and notmake a mistake.”

ENTREPRENEUR FROM THE START

Manny Stamatakis grew upin Canonsburg, PA, in what hecalls a lower middle class house-hold. He says: “Although we didnot have much, I never feltbadly or insecure.” His parents,Marsha and Nicholas, made themiddle child and his brothersNicholas Jr. and Paul feel secure. He learned Greek first, as his

grandparents, who lived withthem and hailed from Karpathosand Rhodes islands, did notspeak English. Because the

Greek Church was right acrossfrom his house, there was nochance of not being connectedto the community or missing thedaily Greek school sessions thatfollowed “American” school. Heremembers: “The good news isthat the ‘Greek’ school was nextto the Church and so I did nothave to go far. The bad newswas it was hard to miss school.If I did, the Greek teacher wouldwalk across the street to myhouse to find out where I was.”Work started from the earli-

est age. Stamatakis explains, “Ialways worked, or was lookingfor ways to make money. WhenI got the first new scooter onthe street, I would let the kidsget one ride up and down thestreet for five cents.” He explains how his grand-

mother Penelope Diakakistaught him about saving fromthe start. “When I was six yearsold, I had a shoeshine box,which I inherited from mybrother, and I would go to thecoffeehouse down the street andshine shoes. Fifteen cents a pair.If I was lucky, they gave me aquarter. I would come homeevery night and give my grand-mother all the money I madeand she would give me some ofit back and put the rest in abank she kept for me for school.I remember hiding all of mymoney under the rug in my bed-room. Not much of a hidingplace since there was a bigbump in the rug, but it mademe feel like it was hidden andit would be safe.” Yiayia Pene-lope liked that, unlike his olderbrother, he never pocketed anycoins before bringing them toher. The good student’s knack for

earning his own way continuedthrough college at Penn State.“I was fortunate as I was ablethrough scholarships and work-ing to get my entire educationpaid for without any loans ormoney from my parents.” Sta-matakis juggled three jobs whilestudying engineering (a degreetoward which his grandmothersteered him). He was also thepresident of his fraternity, andeven bought his own car.

KNACK FOR INSURANCEHe graduated in 1969 and

found his calling two years laterthrough a part-time night job ininsurance. Stamatakis explains:“When I told my boss I was re-

signing from the sales engineer-ing job I had, he was surprised.He said I had a bright futurethere and asked me why. Itturned out I was making moremoney than he was in my part

time job, and he had been withthe company over 40 years.” After that, he launched his

own company with a friend,called Stamritt, Inc. He recalls:“It was great. We would playgolf all day and work at night. Iwas making a lot of money nowfull-time and my handicap gotdown to a 6. But my desire tomove ahead got to me and I hadto stop playing as much golf.”

His professional trajectorywas driven by curiosity, findinggood associates and understand-ing trends. He started Sta-matakis and Associates in 1972,which he folded into CME in the

1980s. Stamatakis started off byselling individual retirementplans “before HSA's were evenan idea in anyone's mind.” Thencame areas like executive com-pensation and estate planningbefore he turned to group in-surance and benefits consulting.His description of the launch

of First Financial Resources inthe 1980s is indicative of his ap-proach to business: “My formula

was simple: Find the smartestpeople in that business andspend as much time with themas possible...and that I did. I metpeople who were making$250,000 to $500,000 a year,and back then that was a lot ofmoney. Eventually I formed apartnership with a few of themand ultimately we started a na-tional producers’ group wherewe had over 100 officesthroughout the US.” His entry into real estate de-

velopment took place when, at26, he helped a group find aproperty for their church. Whilereal estate is no longer a majoroccupation, Stamatakis is alsoinvolved in a casino plan forPhiladelphia. Today, CME’s clients range

from companies with 500 to100,000 employees. Its founderand CEO prides himself in sav-ing millions for his clients. “To-day CME is one of the best com-

panies around for advising com-panies about their benefit andhealthcare needs.” C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, Chair-

man of engineering servicescompany Pennoni Associates,and also previously Drexel Uni-versity’s President, says CMEhelped his own company in-crease employee coverage at alower price. He adds: “Mannyhas a God-given skill for busi-ness intuition.” He lauds him forknowing not to oversell and toassociate with “people who havehonesty and integrity as theirmantra.” Another CME client is Com-

cast Corporation. David L. Co-hen, an executive vice presidentthere, calls Stamatakis a “roll upyour sleeves, hands-on businessleader.” He adds: “For years, Iliterally wondered whetherManny had any backup staffworking for him, because itseemed like he did everythinghimself. But he has a great staffand delegates really well – hejust believes in understandingeverything himself so he canpresent it with personal convic-tion.”

CIVIC ENGAGEMENTStamatakis has a lively pres-

ence outside of his office too.Friends point out that on anygiven night, he attends two tothree events. Eliana Papadakisnotes that when Manny is asso-ciated with any event, such aslast year’s Heart of PhiladelphiaAward event that honored him,it’s bound to be a success. Stamatakis cuts a high profile

in Philadelphia. He chairs theboards of the Greater Philadel-phia Tourism Marketing Corpo-ration (GPTMC), the Philadel-phia Shipyard DevelopmentCorporation and the Pennsylva-nia Supreme Court InvestmentAdvisory Board. He sits on 11other boards and since 1994he’s been on 30 boards. Nick DeBenedictis, Chairman

and CEO of Aqua America WaterCompany, who has been on sev-eral boards with Stamatakis,says, “Some people get ontocivic boards because it helpsthem personally. I’ve never seenthat with Manny.” Liberty Prop-erty Trust CEO William B. Han-kowsky, who is also on thePhiladelphia Shipyard Develop-ment Corporation board,echoes: “He doesn’t get paid todo this. It’s a civic thing. To be

Manny Stamatakis, A Businessman with a Vision for Philly

In the 2000 presidential election, Manuel N. Stamatakis was Finance Co-Chair in Philadelphiafor then-Texas Governor George W. Bush. At that time, together with Alex G. Spanos, he co-chaired a Washington, D.C. event that brought in $1 million.

My formula was simple: Find the smartest people in that business and spend as much time with them as possible... and that I did.“

To our Dear friend Manny Congratulations and always AXIOS.

With Love,The Papadakis Family

a good citizen and help out…He’s as committed and as fo-cused as if it was his own com-pany.” Stamatakis is particularly

proud of his role boosting hiscity’s image as the Chair of theGPTMC for the past eight years.Meryl Levitz, President & CEOof the GPTMC, lauds the gen-erosity Stamatakis has displayedin terms of time and engage-ment: “Manny championed thehospitality and tourism industryas a replacement industry forPhiladelphia's lost manufactur-ing jobs. He knew it would bringback jobs and pride to Philadel-phians.” He’s worked on pro-jects involving The NationalConstitution Center, The Kim-mel Center for the PerformingArts, Drexel University, the Wa-terfront, and the Yard, not tomention helping start theGreater Philadelphia WorldTrade Center Organization in2002.

ON THE WATERFRONTStamatakis traces his involve-

ment in the iconic Aker Philadel-phia Shipyard back to his work-ing on Governor Tom Ridge’ssuccessful campaign in 1994.The next year, Ridge invited himto chair the Pennsylvania IM-PACCT Commission, whichcame up with a report on howthe state government could save$7 billion. Then he asked Sta-matakis to chair the DelawareRiver Port Authority (DRPA). Inthat time, things looked grim,as the Defense Base Closure andRealignment Commission hadadvised the closure of the his-toric Philadelphia Navy Ship-yard. Stamatakis remembersthat crisis, which involved agradual shutdown from theearly to mid-1990s: “Eight thou-sand jobs would be lost.Philadelphia was once the ship-building capital of the worldand now we were going to havenothing.”Stamatakis dove into the

Governor’s challenge to savethose jobs. Hankowsky, who wasalso part of the solution, saysthe question was: “Was thereanybody in the world whowould be interested in buildingships in Philadelphia?” An international solution was

engineered. Stamatakis ex-plains: “A partnership wasformed with the DRPA and theCommonwealth of Pennsylva-nia, the City of Philadelphia,and the Federal Government tobuild a state-of-the-art facilityin Philadelphia. We brought ina world class shipbuilding com-

pany from Norway to run theYard.” Today he points withpride to the Aker PhiladelphiaShipyard, noting: “Since 2000the Yard has built more than50% of all of the ocean-goingcommercial ships in the UnitedStates! And for nearly 10 years,over 1000 direct jobs came fromthe Yard and over 6000 indirect

jobs.”Hankowsky credits Sta-

matakis’ talent for negotiationin helping this happen. “His ne-gotiation style is some combi-nation of wearing you down andoutworking you and outthinkingyou.” George P. Tsetsekos, Dean of

Drexel University’s LeBow Col-

lege of Business, lauds Sta-matakis’ ability to foresee oth-ers’ actions. “He’s the best chessplayer,” says Tsetsekos, “Forevery move he makes, he is al-ways in a position to balanceout actions from the others.” In2000, the College of Businessschool gave Stamatakis an hon-orary Doctorate of Business Ad-ministration. Tsetsekos adds:“Usually in a transaction in abusiness arrangement, you findpeople who are winners andlosers. But somehow, every timeManny is getting involved,everybody is a winner.” With global pressure on the

shipping industry, it isn’t alwayssmooth sailing. Stamatakis, whohas also been appointed by thePSDC to the board of the AkerPhiladelphia Shipyard, says:“The recession has slowed shiporders immensely, but there isstill hope.” There were hun-dreds of layoffs last year andconcern about the shipyard clos-ing. But the PSDC engineered adeal early this year with Aker,which involved a $42 millionpurchase of shipyard assets andtwo ships being built on spec to

keep jobs. Then, recently, anExxon Mobile $400 million or-der came through for two hugetankers for its Alaska-West Coastroute. “This one order will keep1000 people employed at theYard until 2014,” underlinesStamatakis.

THE DREXEL CONNECTIONStamatakis credits the force

of late Drexel President Taki Pa-

padakis for his involvement withthe University and its MedicalCollege. They met shortly afterPapadakis’ arrival in 1995, andStamatakis was impressed byhis fellow Greek’s dynamic per-sonality. He recalls: “At the time,Drexel was kind of a mess andalthough I had lived in Philadel-phia for over 20 years at thetime, I had no interest in Drexel.That all changed when I met

Taki. He truly was one of themost charismatic and smartestvisionaries I ever met. I tried toexplain to Taki that I was a PennState alum and was very happyabout that. But he would nottake no for an answer. Before Iknew it, he had me on the Boardand worse, working almost fulltime for Drexel. The next 12years were some of the best ofmy life. Taki and I were a great

team. In addition to spending alot of Drexel time together, hebecame one of my bestfriends...actually he and I be-came like brothers. We had anunconditional relationship andtherefore we had complete trustin each other. We never com-peted and only wanted to helpeach other.”Three years into Papadakis’

Drexel presidency, the idea tofirst bring a medical school toDrexel were born. Stamatakiswas a State Senate appointee tothe Board of Allegheny Univer-sity Medical School. When thatmedical school faced bank-ruptcy, Stamatakis was on acommittee working with theschool’s creditors to try to savewhat was the largest medicalschool in the country, its hospi-tals and 10,000 related jobs. It was clear the only solution

was for a school to purchase it.Stamatakis explains: “I lookedfar and wide and no one wouldconsider it. Then I called Taki,and after a short while, he toldme he would consider. He im-mediately saw the future poten-tial to Drexel and did not let thepotential risk scare him. He wasa true leader.” An unprecedented $50 mil-

lion grant and hundreds ofhours of negotiations, helpedclinch the deal. Stamatakis re-calls: “For a couple of Greekswho had very little medicalschool experience, we did okay.”Eliana Papadakis recalls that herhusband, drawn to Stamatakis’energy and loyalty, worked in-credibly well with Stamatakis.“Both were very respectful ofeach others’ ideas. It was never,‘No, you do it my way.’”Until a few months ago, Sta-

matakis chaired the new DrexelUniversity College of Medicine

HELLENIC LEADERSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 3

Manuel N. Stamatakis is front a nd center in this family photo,surrounded by nieces and nephews.

Manuel N. Stamatakis hoods Barbara Nightingale, a recipient of his endowment scholarship, as she is graduated from theDrexel University College of Medicine.

...Although I had lived in Philadelphia for over 20years at the time, I had no interest in Drexel. That allchanged when I met Taki. He truly was one of themost charismatic and smartest visionaries I ever met.“

Continued on page 4

HELLENIC LEADERS4 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011

board for 13 years – enjoyingalong the way 13 graduationsof some 4,000 doctors. FormerPresident and Dean Homan saysStamatakis is one of the school’sbiggest advocates. “He’s givenso much time, energy and his

own resources to developing theschool.” Stamatakis continues tobe involved on the boards ofboth the medical school andDrexel University. The Manuel

Stamatakis Endowment Schol-arship for medical students hasraised $2.5 million through golftournaments. Stamatakis ismoved by the scholarship recip-ients’ essays, which speak ofmodest beginnings and promis-ing futures. He says: “I realizedwithout scholarships like this, I

would have never been able tofinish college.”

A POLITICAL LIFEPolitics is a major passion for

Stamatakis, who is already busy

trying to put Texas GovernorRick Perry into the White Housein 2012. He met Perry for thefirst time this year and was im-pressed by his job growth recordand Texas’ malpractice reform.Stamatakis notes: “I read hisbook ‘Fed Up’ and that was it.He strongly believes in smallergovernment, balanced budgets,allowing businesses to grow theeconomy and he certainly un-derstands how to grow jobs…He may not be the best debaterto many, but I still think he willbe a great President.” (He be-lieves the same of former NewYork City Mayor Rudy Giuliani,on whose presidential bid hepreviously worked.)The first campaign Sta-

matakis ever helped managewas that of a friend running forCongress in the 1980s. He re-

calls, “We lost badly, because wewere running against the partyincumbent, but it was an eye-opening experience for me andI kind of got hooked.”Since then, Stamatakis has

become a pivotal fundraiser onlocal, state, and national races,including backing “every Repub-

lican Presidential Candidatesince Reagan.” Stamatakis esti-mates: “If I had to guess at howmuch money I have helped raiseover the years, it would be inthe tens of millions of dollars.”In 2000, he was Finance Co-

Chair in PA for George W. Bush.A Washington, DC event that heco-chaired with Alex Spanosraised over $1 million for Bush.He says, “Back then, mostGreek-Americans were Democ-rats and only a few of us wereRepublicans but I think that ischanging a little now.” He thinksmost Greek-Americans, regard-less of party (including his ownDemocratic family growing up),are fiscal conservatives. He is loyal to his party, but

not blinded by it. “I never votedDemocrat, although some of mybest friends are Democrats andover the years I have supportedDemocrats that did many greatthings for Pennsylvania.”Stamatakis adds: “I have to

say that, regardless of party, I amsomewhat prejudiced in favor ofGreeks…Whether Republican orDemocrats (although I wouldlike to see more Republicans),we need more Greek-Americansin public office.” He notes: “We have such a

heritage and I have met so manysuccessful and intelligent Greek-Americans, but we have reallynot done a good job of penetrat-ing the political system of thiscountry and positioning our-selves to be heard. We need todo better. We can help Americamore and of course we can makesure important Greek-Americancauses are heard.”

PERSONALITY POINTSThough Stamatakis cuts a

high profile figure in Philadel-phia and beyond, Chuck Pen-

noni, caps up his friends’ assess-ment: “Above all, he’s a niceguy.”“He is accessible to people,”

says Sotirios Vahaviolos,Founder and CEO of asset pro-tection services company Mis-tras Group, Inc., of Stamatakis.He calls the Mistras board mem-ber “a leader with words,” whocan communicate with anyone. GPTMC President Meryl

Levitz says of her mentor andteacher Stamatakis: “He alwaystakes the time to listen and tounderstand others' points ofview.”

She adds: “He is also verykind, and led the fundraising ef-fort for a wonderful mural(Philadelphia is a city of murals)in honor of my father, when hepassed away five years ago. Iwill never forget that.”Eliana Papadakis in turn calls

Stamatakis a “Greek GeorgeClooney,” who may not havechildren of his own, but reallyunderstands young people,loves animals (especiallyWheaton Terriers) and is cen-tered on his large extended fam-ily. She considers with astonish-

ment that she’s never seen himget angry. “I’ve always seen himwith a smile.” Papadakis adds,“He’s a very peaceful and con-tent individual.”The City of Brotherly Love

stands to benefit from the Sta-matakis approach.

angelike.contis@ekirikas.com

Manny Stamatakis, A Businessman with a Vision for Philly

ABOVE: Golf is one of Manuel N. Stamatakis’ passions. In his early insurance years, he managedto play during the day and work at night, for a stint. LEFT: Manuel N. Stamatakis believes thatformer New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani would have made “a great president.” He helped inhis unsuccessful presidential bid in the last elections.

Manuel “Manny” N. Stamatakis’Leadership Roles & Honors

Current Board Positions• Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation(Chairman)

• Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation (Chairman)• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Investment Advisory Board(Chairman)

• Albert Einstein Healthcare Network Board of Overseers• Aker Philadelphia Shipyard-AKPS• Board of Trustees, Drexel University College of Medicine• Crowley Chemical Corporation • Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau• Drexel University • Montgomery Hospital • Biotechnology Greenhouse Corp • Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce• Zoological Society of Philadelphia• MISTRAS Holdings Corporation

Former Board Positions• Delaware River Port Authority (Past Chairman) • PATCO Transit Authority (Past Chairman) • Pennsylvania IMPAACT Commission (Past Chairman) • Philadelphia Film Commission (Past Chairman) • World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (Past Chairman) • Team Pennsylvania Ambassador's Program (Past Chairman)

• Health Care Resources Foundation (Past Vice Chairman)• Philadelphia Hospital & Higher Education Authority (Past ViceChairman)

• United States Dept of Commerce Travel & Tourism AdvisoryBoard

• Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority• Philadelphia Orchestra Association• Pennsylvania Ballet • Pennsylvania Economy League • Philadelphia Airport Advisory Board • Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation • Governor’s PRIME Council• Delaware River Basin Commission Watershed AdvisoryCouncil

• Lincoln University • Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Board

Awards & Honors• Drexel University College of Medicine - Alumni AssociationSpecial Recognition Award

• American Heart Association – 2010 Heart of PhiladelphiaAward

• Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association - 2009 LAGOS Heart ofPhiladelphia Award

• Voice Foundation – Voice Education Research Award(V.E.R.A.)

• Drexel University, Doctor of Business Administration, honoriscausa

• World Affairs Council - Atlas Award• Lambda Alpha International – Skyline Award• Global Greece Award• Wilma Theatre Honoree Award• Philadelphia Boys Choir Ambassador Award• Wheels of Wellness, Achievers Award• The March of Dimes, Service to Humanity Award• Cardiovascular Institute, Cardiovascular Leadership Award• 1999 Delaware River Port Authority, Port Authority HeroesAward

• Boy Scouts of America, Scout Mariner Award• Waterfront Business Association, Community Service Award• Arts & Business Partnership Hero Award• Stephen Girard Maritime Day Award• Hellenic News of America, Hermes Award• PenJerDel Council, 2002 Citizen of the Year Award• Restaurant Association Hospitality Cabinet of Success Award

Government/Political Activities• Member of House Republican Leadership Trust - 2010• Pennsylvania Finance Chairman – Rudy Giuliani for President-2008

• Pennsylvania Pioneer Chairman – Bush-Cheney - 2004• Finance Chairman Fisher for Governor – 2002• Pennsylvania Co-Finance Chairman – Bush for President –2000

• Served on the Ridge Gubernatorial Transition Team – 1994• Served on Rendell Mayoral Transition Team-1991

Continued from page 3

In 2003, the Drexel University College of Medicine acquired its Queen Lane Medical Campus, which already boasts a newstudent center and state-of-the-arts Simulation Center.

Stamatakis is moved by the scholarship recipients’essays, which speak of modest beginnings andpromising futures. He says: “I realized withoutscholarships like this, I would have never been ableto finish college.”

“I have to say that,regardless of party, I amsomewhat prejudiced infavor of Greeks…”

“

HELLENIC LEADERSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 5

HELLENIC LEADERS6 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011

On July 1, 2002, when theDrexel University board oftrustees voted unanimously tomerge MCP Hahnemann Univer-sity, it was a bold move. The university had a noble

history. It consisted of a union oftwo historic Pennsylvania med-ical schools, a homeopathic col-lege formed in 1848 (and laternamed after homeopathic medi-cine pioneer Samuel Hahne-mann) and the Medical Collegeof Pennsylvania, the world’s firstmedical school for women, aplace that graduated the first Na-tive American and African Amer-ican female physicians. But despite this past, in 1998,

the medical university was introuble. Within a decade of ac-quiring both, Allegheny Health,Education and Research Founda-tion was $1.6 billion in debt aftermismanagement and overexpan-sion. It declared bankruptcy.Shortly after Tenet Healthcare

Corporation acquired the med-ical university as a part of alarger acquisition of AHERFproperties in Philadelphia, onNovember 11, 1998, Drexelmade “the bold and controversialmove” to operate the colleges ofmedicine, nursing and publichealth, under the new nameMCP Hahnemann University. Lots of negotiating, by Board

of Trustees Chair Manuel N. Sta-matakis and Drexel PresidentTaki Papadakis, took place, how-ever, to make it happen. Theyproposed that Drexel manage theschool for a fee, with the optionof taking over in three years. Butwhen the board hesitated, Sta-matakis had to return to theschool’s creditors and tell themso. The creditors surprisinglyagreed to offer $50 million forthe project, Drexel’s largest giftever. During the years of transi-

tion, the Drexel University Col-lege of Medicine, which is todaythe largest private medicalschool in the U.S., never lost ac-

creditation. As the late DrexelPresident Papadakis said adecade after the medical schoolbecame part of his school:“Drexel is not well endowed, sothe only way to compete in thehigher educational arena is bydoing things that are outside thebox.” Since 2008, the school hasranked in U.S. News & WorldReport’s 100 top medical schoolrankings. Spinal cord research, chronic

pain treatment, malaria researchand HIV/AIDS treatment areamong the medical school’sfortes, as are women’s health,memory disorders (work in-cludes an Alzheimer’s vaccine),

Lou Gehrig’s Disease clinical tri-als, cardiovascular treatment,and bioinformatics-informed ge-netic research. Noninvasive can-cer detection and outreach pro-grams to Philadelphiacommunities also are a part ofthe school. As of last year, the 160 year-

old institution had over 1,000medical students, more than 500medical residents - with 1,000additional scientists, graduatestudents and others in the healthsciences. There are some120,000 living alumni who havebeen graduated from the school.In recent years Drexel has

emphasized high tech learning,

as well as programs like one fo-cused on the Medical Humani-ties and preparation for careerslike clinical forensic science. An Institute for Women’s

Health and Leadership was es-tablished in 1999 and in 2003the Medical College acquired itsQueen Lane Medical Campus, al-lowing for a new student center(2006) and construction of newfacilities including a state-of-the-art Independence Blue CrossMedical Simulation Center thatopened in 2010. Looking to thefuture, the school also hosts aMini-Med Summer Camp forpre-med-minded high schoolstudents.

Opening Drexel’s Medical File

Manuel N. Stamatakis is “examined” on the golf course by four promising beneficiaries of theEndowment Scholarship for medical students in his name. Golf tournaments have raised $2.5million for the scholarships to date.

Shortly after Constantine “Taki” Papadakis (L) became president of Drexel University, he con-vinced Manuel N. Stamatakis to join the school’s board. Before long, Penn State alum Stamatakisproposed Drexel acquire an ailing medical school, a huge risk that paid off. Stamatakis says ofthe late Papadakis, “He and I became like brothers.”

Congratulations, Manny, on your Hellenic Leaderrecognition.

Drexel University College of Medicine thanks youfor your years of dedicated service to our institution.

Students, Faculty and Staff

HELLENIC LEADERSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 7

2012 is a year to look back-ward and forward in thePhiladelphia region. In a nod tothe past, several of the region’scultural institutions will show-case globally revered treasuresfrom the worlds of religion andart that date from antiquity tothe 20th century. But with eyesfocused on the future, the re-gion is also embracing some ofthe most modern interpretiveartwork ever commissioned.Plus, a number of the city’s mu-seums are unveiling major ren-ovations that will enable themto thrive for many years tocome. Here are just 12 reasonsto visit in 2012:

RELOCATIONS, REDESIGNS,RE-OPENINGS & REUSES:1. On May 19, the vast art

collections of the Barnes Foun-dation will complete its $150-million relocation from subur-ban Merion, Pennsylvania to aspectacular new building onCenter City Philadelphia’s Ben-jamin Franklin Parkway, mark-ing the first addition to the Park-way in 60 years. Once in theirnew home, hundreds of worksby Impressionist, post-Impres-sionist and early modern mas-ters, plus African masks andPennsylvania Dutch decorativearts, will be on view in a struc-ture that combines the vision oftheir original owner Dr. AlbertBarnes with a contemporary andgreen execution. The additionof the Barnes Foundation to theParkway will further cement theboulevard’s status as one of thepremier arts and culture corri-dors in the world. 20th Street &the Benjamin Franklin Parkway,barnesfoundation.org2. In July of 2011, the Rodin

Museum unveiled its redesignedoutdoor sculpture garden, andin spring 2012, museum officialswill open the doors to a fullyrenovated interior. The reloca-tion of many sculptures back totheir rightful place in the gardenhas opened up indoor space fora reconfiguration of existingitems, modernized visitoramenities and areas for livelypublic programming. A high-light of the revamped museum,which is currently closed to thepublic, will be the main galleryplacement of a marble replicaof The Kiss. 22nd Street & the

Benjamin Franklin Parkway,(215) 568-6026, rodinmu-seum.org3. The May opening of the

Philadelphia History Museum atthe Atwater Kent will reveal anextensively revitalized home fora treasure trove of objects thatchronicle the everyday lives ofthree centuries’ worth ofPhiladelphians. New exhibitsshowcase everything from 18th-century portraits to 21st-centurycommunity movements; instal-

lations that explore the city’scraft beer movement; dynamicdisplays that celebrate Philadel-phia sports fanaticism; and sto-ries of the city’s growth usingstreet intersections as a guide.The reconfigured space allowscurators to display items rarelyor ever before seen, such as JoeFrazier’s boxing gloves, Ben-jamin Franklin’s wine glass, aQuaker bonnet, the famousWampum Belt and George

Washington’s presidential desk.15 S. 7th Street, (215) 685-4830, philadelphiahistory.org4. The 100-year-old Lafayette

Building, located on Indepen-dence Hall, will find new life asa Kimpton-owned Hotel Monacobeginning in summer 2012. The10-story structure, currently un-der renovation, will become afour-star hotel with 271 rooms. When it opens, the hotel will

house a bevy of luxury suites,approximately 12,000 square

feet of meeting space and a 120-seat restaurant and bar, featur-ing the largest rooftop loungein Philadelphia. 5th & ChestnutStreets, kimptonhotels.com

NEW EVENTS & EXCITINGEXHIBITIONS:

5. The life and work ofAfrican-American artist HenryOssawa Tanner will be morefully understood after 2012,thanks to a definitive retrospec-

tive of his career that includesthe first scientific and technicalanalysis of his materials andmethods. From January 28-April15, the Pennsylvania Academyof the Fine Arts (PAFA), presentsHenry Ossawa Tanner: ModernSpirit, a traveling exhibition cu-rated by PAFA staff. The showmounts more than 100 pieces,the two known sculptures Tan-ner completed, 12 paintings thathave never been shown in aTanner retrospective and his ca-reer-making Resurrection ofLazarus, which is making its firsttrip to the continent. Tanner,who lived in Philadelphia afterthe Civil War, studied at PAFA.118-128 N. Broad Street, (215)972-7600, pafa.org6. 2012 promises to be a ban-

ner year for the Philadelphia

Museum of Art, which is hostinga series of major exhibitions. Asure-to-be blockbuster: VanGogh Up Close, running fromFebruary 1-May 6, explores thepainter’s deep immersion intonature. In spring, it’s Gauguin,Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Ar-cadia, an exhibition that bringstogether masterpieces from thethree artists for the first time. Itruns from June 20-September3. 26th Street & the BenjaminFranklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org7. The Boss returns to the

“Streets of Philadelphia” in arockin’ exhibition at the Na-tional Constitution Center, theonly venue in the nation hostingthe Rock and Roll Hall of Fameand Museum show. From As-bury Park to the Promised Land:

The Life and Music of BruceSpringsteen, running February17 to September 3, illustratesthe American singer/song-writer’s commitment to illumi-nating the struggles and tri-umphs of “We the People,” whileremaining an icon of Americanpride and values. The guitarfrom the Born to Run cover, theiconic Born in the U.S.A. outfit,Clarence Clemons’ Junglelandsaxophone, Springsteen’s 1960Corvette, family photographs,handwritten lyrics and listeningstations provide a well-roundedSpringsteen experience and de-light devoted fans. 525 ArchStreet, (215) 409-6700, consti-tutioncenter.org8. The Academy of Natural

Sciences celebrates its bicenten-nial with a year-long scheduleof festive events, educationalprograms and a centerpiece ex-hibition that honors two cen-turies of the Academy’s ground-breaking scientific discoveries.In The Academy at 200: The Na-ture of Discovery, visitors willsee how scientists discover newspecies, learn how humans areimpacting their environmentand find out how to help theAcademy fulfill its mission toshape a sustainable future. Theexhibition opens March 24 witha birthday party that includescake, music, games and specialappearances. 1900 BenjaminFranklin Parkway, (215) 299-1043, ansp.org9. Incomparable works from

the Uffizi Gallery in Florence,Italy will travel to the James A.Michener Art Museum for Of-fering of the Angels: Treasuresfrom the Uffizi Gallery, runningApril 21-August The show fea-tures two tapestries and approx-imately 40 oil paintings createdby artists as masterful as Botti-celli, Titian, Tintoretto, Parmi-gianino and Cristofano. Thepieces, which span the 15th tothe 17th centuries, all depictscenes from the Old and NewTestaments and relate to thethemes of angels, forgivenessand the Eucharist. 138 S. PineStreet, Doylestown, (215) 340-9800, michenerartmuseum.org10. The largest and most

comprehensive display of thebiblical Dead Sea Scrolls ever dis-played in the United Statescomes to The Franklin Institutein May. The 20-scroll Dead SeaScrolls: Life and Faith in BiblicalTimes contains the books of Gen-esis, Leviticus, Exodus and Kings. The exhibition puts the

scrolls into context by integrat-ing a two-ton stone from theWestern Wall in Jerusalem andmore than 500 religious, mili-tary and household items frombiblical times. 222 N. 20thStreet, (215) 448-1200, fi.edu

SOUND & LIGHTSPECTACULARS:

11. The earth and sky willlight up with the first Americanshow of Bruce Munro, a Britishartist and light designer, atLongwood Gardens from June9-September 16. Light: The Artof Bruce Munro places site-spe-cific lights throughout the in-door and outdoor gardens inarrangements that depict tangi-ble objects like flowers, rain-drops and multi-hued towers.1001 Longwood Road, KennettSquare, (610) 388-1000, long-woodgardens.org12. The 2011-2012 season is

full of highlights for ThePhiladelphia Orchestra, as it cel-ebrates Charles Dutoit in his fi-nal season as chief conductorand presents several concertswith incoming music directorYannick Nézet-Séguin. Afterconducting a few teaser concertsin 2011, including one that cel-ebrates the Kimmel Center’s10th anniversary, the music di-rector designate will officiallytake the baton in 2012. Detailsabout Nézet-Séguin’s inauguralseason will be announced inearly 2012. 260 S. Broad Street,(215) 790-5800, kimmelcen-ter.org

ABOUT THE GPTMCThe Greater Philadelphia

Tourism Marketing Corporation(GPTMC) makes Philadelphiaand The Countryside® a pre-mier destination through mar-keting and image building thatincreases business and promotesthe region’s vitality.For more information about

travel to Philadelphia, visit vis-itphilly.com or uwishunu.com,where you can build itineraries;search event calendars; see pho-tos and videos; view interactivemaps; sign up for newsletters;listen to HearPhilly, an onlineradio station about what to seeand do in the region; book hotelreservations and more. Or, call the Independence

Visitor Center, located in His-toric Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Reprinted with the permissionof the Greater PhiladelphiaTourism Marketing Corporation(GPTMC) from its website Visit-philly.com.

HELLENIC LEADERS8 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011

12 Great Reasons To Visit Philadelphia In 2012The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation Explains Why Philly Is Fab All Year Long

In it’s 10th year, The Kimmel Center celebrates a 2011-2012season full of highlights for The Philadelphia Orchestra, as itcelebrates Charles Dutoit in his final season as chief conductorand introduces music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

PHOTO BY G. WIDMAN FOR GPTMC

The DePaul Groupcongratulates

Manny Stamatakis,a true Hellenic leader.

He's made Philadelphia and the U.S. better through his tireless work and service.

Peter DePaul

When, in 2008,Drexel UniversityCollege of Medicinemarked its first

decade, the school published a10 year report entitled “ADecade of Opportunity and In-novation Built on 160 Years ofProgress.” The pivotal roles ofthe late Drexel President Con-stantine “Taki” Papadakis andManny Stamatakis in theschool’s recent history are high-lighted in the publication. Beloware some excerpts from the re-port that highlight the techno-logical achievements and cut-ting edge fields at the school,reprinted with permission fromDrexel University College ofMedicine.

THE NEW BABY, JOININGMEDICINE & TECHNOLOGYThe arrival of a new medical

school at an established univer-sity created excitement.“Here we had a new baby

and everyone wanted to playwith the baby,” Papadakis said.“We believed this would precip-itate strong collaboration be-tween health science and therest of the university.” And it has. Engineering and

medicine were once like oil andwater. Now, Drexel is mixingthem up, finding creative solu-tions to pressing medical chal-lenges at the intersections ofhardware, software and “wet-ware.”The opportunity to link tech-

nology to a tradition of caringcomes at a time when technol-ogy is playing an increasinglycentral role in medicine. Engi-neering offers new vehicles fordrug delivery and diagnosticequipment. Devices can aug-ment or replace drugs. Near-in-frared light helps researcherslook into the brain to under-stand autism, administer anes-thesia more precisely, and accel-erate wound healing followingsurgery. In a data-intensiveworld, information systems canhelp in extracting knowledgefrom many terabytes of geneticdata across many patients andyears.The possibilities of such in-

terdisciplinary projects aretremendous. Imagine, for exam-ple, stapling your medication oninstead of injecting it. Surgeryand engineering researchershave created a smaller surgicalstaple that can deliver antibi-

otics and other drugs as it de-grades. This technology will al-low surgeons to use staples tojoin delicate structures that arehard to stitch or repair with tra-ditional surgical staples. AriBrooks, M.D., an associate pro-fessor in the Department ofSurgery at the College of Medi-cine, and Margaret Wheatley,Ph.D., a professor in the Schoolof Biomedical Engineering, Sci-ence and Health Systems, wrotea patent for the new drug-de-livery staple, and Drexel me-chanical engineers are designinga new stapler. Researchersacross Drexel University areworking together on spinal cordresearch, autism, women’shealth, HIV medicine, and inmany other areas. They also arecreating better medical simula-tions, developing platforms foronline learning, and using hand-held technology to track the ex-periences of residents. Drexel iscalling together engineering re-searchers to introduce new tech-nologies, basic scientists to ex-plore related issues from theirperspective and clinicians to ex-amine applications.In a university that is open

to such collaboration, the whole

is much greater than the sum ofits parts.

FORGING NEWCONNECTIONS FOR

SPINAL CORD RESEARCHSince 1888, when Hahne-

mann anatomist Rufus Ben-jamin Weaver completed thefirst dissection of the complete

human nervous system, the Col-lege of Medicine has led in un-derstanding – and repairing –injuries to the spinal cord.In the 1970s, pioneering re-

searchers Marion Murray andMichael Goldberger moved tothe Medical College of Pennsyl-vania from the University ofChicago to create one of the first

centers dedicated to research onthe spinal cord.They had a distinctive focus

on neural plasticity and recov-ery of function in spinal cord in-juries at a time when many re-searchers thought this wasimpossible. They developedmethods of transplanting tissueand neural stem cells into in-jured spinal cords that are nowwidely used in spinal cord treat-ment. Among the recent break-throughs at the center, re-searcher John Houle, Ph.D.,demonstrated the successful re-generation of injured spinalnerve endings when a rat withan injured spinal cord was ableto move the affected limb.

THE NEW FIELD OFNEUROENGINEERINGDrexel’s Spinal Cord Re-

search Center is the only centerof its kind in the Mid-Atlanticregion and has one of thelongest-running NIH grants forinvestigating spinal cord in-juries, spanning more than 20years. It is pursuing a multidis-ciplinary approach to addressinginjury through cell replacementand other therapies, drugs andphysical therapy.Some of the solutions involve

robotics or nerve stimulation.Researchers are developing de-vices to bypass a nonfunctionalspinal cord and stimulate thenerves at the periphery, inessence rewiring the bodyaround the failed spinal cord cir-cuit. Such projects require adeep understanding of thebrain-machine interface, astrength of Drexel University.Researchers at the medical

school understand the brainside, while University engineersand computer scientists haveworked on the problem from themachine side. Neuroscientistsalso are collaborating with ma-terials engineers to createbiodegradable materials for em-bedding stem cell grafts, mate-rials to encapsulate drugs thatare secreted over time, and de-vices for stretching nerves to ac-celerate growth.“This is very exciting work,”

said Itzhak Fischer, Ph.D., chairof the Department of Neurobi-ology and Anatomy, who is lead-ing spinal cord research. “Theoldtimers say that 20 or 30years ago they were completelyisolated. The prospect of any re-generation was buried under

the dogma that it was impossi-ble. Now, we interface engi-neers, neuroscientists and reha-bilitation. As far as I know, weare the only spinal cord centerthat also has a neuroengineer-ing function. And there are stu-dents now being trained as neu-roengineers from both sides.”

INFECTIOUSCOLLABORATION

In the 1940s, Hahnemann’sDan H. Moore, Ph.D., estab-lished new approaches for in-vestigating biological macromol-ecules. He was the firstinvestigator to demonstrate, in1954, that viruses have internalstructures, and he went on topioneer the field of retrovirol-ogy, exploring the role of virusesin causing cancer. A few decadeslater, MCP Dean Alton L. Sut-nick, M.D., made a break-through that led to the discoveryof the hepatitis B surface anti-gen.

Drexel University College ofMedicine is now a leading cen-ter for the study of malaria,HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis B andC.In the past five years, its re-

search grants have expandedfrom $23 million in 2003 to $50million in 2008.

NEW DELIVERYMECHANISMS

The College of Medicine nowhas one of the largest academicgroups in the country workingto understand, treat and preventmalaria, one of the world’s mostdeadly diseases, killing between1 million and 3 million peopleevery year. In 1989, a team ofresearchers led by Lawrence W.Bergman, Ph.D., and AkhilVaidya, Ph.D., professors in theDepartment of Microbiologyand Immunology, determinedthe molecular structure of a“cellular motor” that allows themalaria parasite to invade hu-

HELLENIC LEADERSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 9

Where Drexel University College of Medicine Excels

Christine Soutendijk, M.D., consults with a patient at the Drexel Center for Women’s Health.DREXEL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Continued on page 10

The Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation

Congratulates

Manuel Stamatakis on His Leadership

in Reviving the Shipbuilding Industry

in Philadelphia and the Delaware River Valley.

Peter Katsikis, Ph.D., and Yvonne Mueller, Ph.D. (above), whoare researching the role of T cells in immune responses, sortcells with a high-performance FACS Aria fluorescence-activatedcell sorter.

Drexel University Collegeof Medicine is now a leading center for the study of malaria,HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis B and C.

man cells. They unraveled theunusual DNA molecule ofmalaria parasites and used thisknowledge to develop anti-malarial drugs that were able toblock the growth of the parasitein human blood cells in the lab-oratory.Led by internationally

renowned virologist Brian Wig-dahl, Ph.D., chair of the Depart-ment of Microbiology and Im-munology, the College ofMedicine established one of the

leading centers in the region forHIV/AIDS research. “We arespinning off new ideas bypulling engineering and bio-medical scientists together tocollaborate,” he said. “There isa spirit of wanting to do this atDrexel. There is a desire to beinnovative, a desire to be col-laborative, a desire to be better.You have a lot of people whowant to take the school to thenext level and are looking for away to do that.”True to its historic concern

for women’s health, Drexel is

developing approaches to em-power women to protect them-selves from infection. Re-searchers have developedintravaginal compounds toblock the transmission ofHIV/AIDS to women, and arenow running one of the largestprograms in the country for pre-clinical testing of therapeuticagents to prevent HIV transmis-sion. “We started from scratchat the beginning of the HIV epi-demic,” said Wigdahl. “We havebeen working on the problemfor a long time and have some

compounds nearing clinicaltrial. It was far tougher thananyone thought it was going be,but the scientific community hasmade significant progress, andsome of that progress has beenmade in our department.”

GENETIC DATA MININGResearchers at the school are

collaborating with engineeringand information systems facultyon bioinformatics to track theevolution of HIV during thecourse of an infection. With pa-tients living longer, this can en-tail sequencing of viral genomesover more than two decades,analyzing data on thousands ofnucleotides across thousands ofpatients.“We are collaborating with

scientists in bioinformatics andbiomedical engineering, usingmathematical models to under-stand genetic changes in hopesof characterizing new targetsand identifying genetic signa-tures that can predict futurechanges,” Wigdahl said.

HEALING HEARTSCharles Philamore Bailey,

M.D., a 1932 Hahnemann grad-uate, appeared on the cover of

Time on March 25, 1957, for hisinnovative work in cardiacsurgery, including the firstclosed-heart surgical repair ofstenosis of the mitral valve.This was a breakthrough pro-

cedure in the era before open-heart surgery.In the late 1970s, researchers

at MCP were among the first inthe Philadelphia region to em-ploy angioplasty (dilation ofnarrowed arteries using acatheter), and in the early1980s, they pioneered the useof the implantable automateddefibrillator.The College of Medicine is

now in the top 50 cardiovascu-lar centers in the country, witha state-of-the-art heart failureprogram. Drexel offers some ofthe most advanced cardiologyimaging in the region. Buildingon 40 years of experience, it hasone of the top programs forheart transplant and ventricularassist devices in Philadelphia.Drexel University College of

Medicine is developing high-techapproaches to treat atrial fibril-lation, replacing blood thinnersor potentially toxic anti-arrhyth-mia medications. Atrial fibrilla-tion, which affects 4 million to 5million Americans, can lead toheart failure and is the secondleading cause of stroke. Drexelcardiologists trained in cardiacelectrophysiology threadcatheters into the heart, mappingthe electrical activity to deter-mine where the arrhythmiaarises. The offending spot – a tinyamount of tissue – is then iso-lated and destroyed by radiofre-quency waves. “About 60 percentof these patients are cured,” saidHoward J. Eisen, M.D., whoheads the Division of Cardiology.“This is tremendously exciting interms of its potential.”

LEADING WOMEN’S HEALTH SINCE 1850As the first school of medi-

cine for women, the College ofMedicine has a legacy of focus-ing on women’s health and ed-ucating women physicians, sci-entists and medical leaders. Itwas designated by the Depart-ment of Health and Human Ser-vices as a National Center of Ex-cellence in Women’s Health, oneof only a few in the nation.

Drexel was one of only 13 med-ical centers chosen to participatein a three-year study of womenat risk for developing breastcancer. The College of Medicinehas also consistently beenamong the top medical schoolsin this area in U.S. News &World Report rankings.Drexel’s Institute for

Women’s Health and Leader-ship® (IWHL), carrying on atradition dating back to thefounding of the school in 1850,is leading outreach efforts to un-derserved communities, improv-ing women’s health, and prepar-ing women leaders. Aware ofthe historic neglect of women’shealth concerns, the Institute isfocusing on health education,accessible health services, andmentoring women in diversecommunities. The Women’sHealth Education Program, es-tablished in 1993 as the firstwomen’s health curriculum in aU.S. medical school, teaches stu-dents to recognize differencesbetween women and men in re-sponding to interventions suchas medications, diet, andsurgery. Drexel is spearheadingsex and gender research, andexpanding its multi-specialtyCenter for Women’s Health. Since its start, the College of

Medicine has been a source ofwomen leaders in medicine.Most of the top women leadersof medical schools across theUnited States have graduatedfrom the College’s ExecutiveLeadership in Academic Medi-cine® (ELAM) program.ELAM® is the nation’s only in-depth program to preparewomen for leadership of schoolsof medicine, dentistry and publichealth. Its graduates representmore than 100 academic healthcenters and include 21 currentor former deans, 90 departmentchairs, 30 center or institute di-rectors, and 70 senior dean’sstaff throughout the U.S., as wellas in Canada and Puerto Rico.Home to one of the most ex-

tensive archives of women’smedicine in the United States,Drexel is not only the epicenterof women’s medicine past, butis also defining the future.

Copyright 2008, Drexel Univer-sity College of Medicine.

HELLENIC LEADERS10 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011

Where Drexel University College of Medicine Excels Continued from page 9

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Neuroengineering, retrovirology, genetic data mining and women's health are a few areaswhere Drexel University College of Medicine excels. Copyright © 2008, Drexel UniversityCollege of Medicine. Drexel University College of Medicine is a separate not-for-profit subsidiaryof Drexel University.

HELLENIC LEADERSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 11

Manny Stamatakis’ loyaltyand honesty are what firststruck Thomas Ridge when hewas running for Pennsylvaniagovernor and asked for his sup-port. Ridge, who went on to begovernor between 1995 and2001 and the first U.S. Secretaryof Homeland Security between2003 and 2005, recalls: “WhenI first met Manny, he was al-ready committed to anothercandidate. There were four orfive candidates. And Manny saidto me, ‘I am a loyal person. I’ma man of my word. I made acommitment to this individual.But if you win, you’ll have myfull support.’ Well, I prevailedin the primary. And Manny hadmade the commitment and hekept it.”Ridge, who today heads

Washington, D.C.-based consult-ing company Ridge Global,adds: “He brought that samehonesty and that same loyaltyto me. In the political world, itis much to be admired.” Sta-matakis’ candor, ability to followthrough and reciprocate are alsovaluable assets in the world ofcampaign fundraising, the for-mer governor adds, noting thatthey have worked together onGOP campaigns includingGeorge W. Bush’s 2000 presi-dential campaign and SenatorJohn McCain’s bid for presidentin 2008 and other elections out-side of Pennsylvania. Ridge saysStamatakis brings a devotednetwork along each time: “Hehas a lot of friends as well, whofollow him.”

PUBLIC SERVICE GENESThough Stamatakis was

never an elected official, saysRidge, the Greek American hasit in his DNA. “He’s got a lot of

public service genes,” the formergovernor notes. His administra-tion nurtured this dominent

trait. Stamatakis served onRidge’s gubernatorial transitionteam and, before being sworn

in, the new governor asked himto chair the Pennsylvania IM-PACCT (Improve ManagementPerformance and Cost ControlTask Force) Commission, whichwas aimed at making govern-ment more efficient.As governor, Ridge explains

he called on him repeatedly, be-cause of the following reason:“Manny, at least in my experi-ence, he doesn’t say ‘Yes’ andgive you 10 or 25 or 50 % effort.It’s always 100-plus percent ef-fort. You have someone commit-ted to service who maximizeseffort, is focused on results andpositive outcomes.”Saving the Philadelphia Ship-

yard and helping Drexel Univer-sity acquire a medical schoolwere Stamatakis’ crowning civicachievements, Ridge believes.“I think if you took Manny outof both of those, out of the equa-tion, I’m not sure they wouldhave gotten completed.” He saysStamatakis was among the twoor three people on both effortswho were “absolutely, positively,unquestionably critical...With-out him and one or two people,those deals wouldn’t get done.”

GRACE UNDER PRESSUREIt’s one thing to get things

done – and another to do it witha positive attitude adds Ridge.He explains Stamatakis didsome “really heavy lifting” onthose two projects, but, adds:“He’s got an easy smile and avery good sense of humor. He’sabsolutely unflappable... Nomatter how tough the task is,he always has that very easy, in-gratiating way, the easy smile,the kind word. He just has great

style, he really does.”The Republican former gov-

ernor underlines he’s very proudof Stamatakis’ work during hisadministration, but the GreekAmerican also has done lots ofpublic service for Democratstoo. “I’m sure you could talk tosome of my friends on the otherside of the aisle, and if he feelsit’s the right thing to do, he willbring his name, energy andcommitment. It’s not a politicalthing for Manny.”Ridge strongly believes peo-

ple like Stamatakis deserverecognition because they are,“in their own way, very impor-tant public servants, unelected,uncompensated.” While people outside of their

immediate circle may not al-ways know about such people’sefforts, he adds: “They do makea difference, a very positive dif-ference in most people’s lives -and Manny is one of those.” Theformer governor adds: “I thinkit’s a wonderful gift that he’sgiven, not to me as Governor,but to his community.” These days, Ridge and Sta-

matakis are more likely to spendtime together on a golf coursethan in an office. But he’s al-ready asked for Stamatakis’ helpfor “a very good friend” runningin an election outside of Penn-sylvania. With regards to the next

presidential election, the formerGovernor of Pennsylvania says:“Even if we end up on the op-posite sides of the Republicanprimary for president, we’ll endup working together, whoeverprevails.”

Gov. Thomas Ridge Calls Stamatakis ‘Unflappable’

Manuel N. Stamatakis worked closely with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge (L) on projectsincluding the rescuing of the Philadelphia Shipyard. When Christine Todd Whitman ran for re-election as the Governor of New Jersey, in 2000, Stamatakis and Ridge were at her side.

When the Navy announced it would close its Philadelphia NavalShipyard says William Hankowsky, the question became: “Whatare we going to do about it?” The former long-time president of the Philadelphia Industrial

Development Corporation and today a member of the shipyard’sdevelopment corporation, said not only was the Yard, visible fromInterstate 95, a big part of the city’s image, but it was also a part ofU.S. history, as the first naval shipyard. It dated back, in a differentlocation, to Revolutionary times, before moving to its location dur-ing the Civil War.At the Yard’s peak of activity, during World War Two, Hankowsky

adds, “There were 40,000 people working there on aircraft carriersand battleships.” In the 1970s, the Yard shifted to being a placewhere ships were overhauled. Hankowsky was involved in the negotiations bringing someone

interested in the shipyard to Philadelphia. A Scandinavian solutionemerged after the Naval Shipyard closed in 1995, with the arrivalof Norwegian company Kvaerner Shipbuilding Division in 1997.That year a public-private partnership was formed by the City of

Philadelphia, the state, the U.S. government and Kvaerner, with apart of the former Navy shipyard being used for commercial pur-poses. The government contributed financially in investing in thejob-making endeavor. The shipyard’s facilities and equipment were installed between

1998 and 2000, modeled after the company’s European shipyards.In 2000, construction began on the first two CV 2600 vessels. Thesame year, Norwegian group Aker, headed by Kjell Inge Rokke, ac-quired the Kvaerner group. The shipyard was subsequently renamedAker Philadelphia Shipyard. The shipyard’s website boats a Goliath Crane, which is capable

of lifting 600 tons, a steel through-put of 25,000 tons/year and afocus on automated steel production. Some clients include MatsonLine and Shell Oil.As the shipyard’s site notes, Carnegie Mellon University did a

study indicating that Aker Philadelphia Shipping contributed $700million, directly and indirectly, over a past five years, to the localeconomy. When the shipyard was reinvented, the nonprofit Philadelphia

Shipyard Development Corporation was formed, with Stamatakisas the Chairman. (He is also a member of Aker Philadelphia Ship-yard’s board.) Says fellow board member Hankowsky, the PSDC isnormally involved with routine oversights; he says, it’s in difficultmoments, like the current rough economy, that it’s called into ac-tion. With 700 layoffs reported by Aker, due to a lack of orders byJuly 2011, the state stepped in with a $42 million purchase ofshipyard assets to help build two ships on spec until clients ap-peared. Then in late July, a deal was announced that Exxon MobilCorporation’s SeaRiver Maritime, Inc. ordred two Aframax tankersfrom the Shipyard. Aker Philadelphia Shipyard’s new CEO is Kristian Rokke, who

was 28 when he took over in March 2011. Twenty years since theshipyard was saved, notes Hankowsky, “Sixteen ships are doneand a 17th is on the way.”

On the Waterfront

HELLENIC LEADERS12 THE NATIONAL HERALD, NOVEMBER 19, 2011