The Governing Board of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association is elected by the General Assembly and serves for a period of two years.
The primary duty of the Governing Board is to run PADEE-WHIA for the two years of its term. Between General Assemblies, it is the main link with the Hellenic Parliament and liaises with the Government of Greece, regional & local governments, business organizations and not-for-profit groups.
The current Governing Board as elected at the 13th PADEE-WHIA General Assembly in July 2021 and comprises the following members:
The Governing Board of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association is elected by the General Assembly and serves for a period of two years.
The primary duty of the Governing Board is to run PADEE-WHIA for the two years of its term. Between General Assemblies, it is the main link with the Hellenic Parliament and liaises with the Government of Greece, regional & local governments, business organizations and not-for-profit groups.
The current Governing Board as elected at the 15th PADEE-WHIA General Assembly in July 2025 and comprises the following members:
The Governing Board
Leonidas Raptakis (USA)
PresidentLeonidas Raptakis has served as President of PADEE–WHIA since 2021. Prior to his election as President, he held several leadership positions within the organization, including First Vice President, Treasurer, and USA Representative.
Since 1996, Senator Raptakis has represented the Democratic Party in the Rhode Island State Senate, USA.
Both his parents were from the island of Andros
Effie Triantafilopoulos (Canada)
1st Vice-PresidentEffie Triantafilopoulos was elected as a Vice President of PADEE-WHIA at the 2019 General Assembly.
Effie was first elected as the MPP for Oakville North-Burlington in 2018 and re-elected in June 2022 and February 2025. Following the 2025 election, Premier Doug Ford appointed Effie as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. She also serves as the Deputy Speaker and is a member of the Standing Committee of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Effie hails from the Kalamata region of Messenia.
Steve Georganas (AUSTRALIA)
2nd Vice PresidentSteve Georganas MP was elected as a 2nd Vice President at the April 2021 re-organization. He has previously served as Treasurer.
Steve has served in the Australian House of Representatives since 2004. He represented the electorate of Hindmarsh, South Australia, from 2004 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2019. Following an electoral redistribution, he was elected as the Member for Adelaide in 2019 and was subsequently re-elected in 2022 and 2025.
Born in South Australia, Georganas’ working class parents arrived in the country from Arcadia and Kalamata in the 1950s.
Marietta Karamanli (France)
EU REPRESENTATIVEMarietta Karamanli was elected to the PADEE-WHIA Board in 2021.
Doctor in Political Science, Marietta Karamanli is a member of the National Assembly of France since 2007 representing the 2nd district of the department of Sarthe. As Deputy in the French National Assembly, Marietta Karamanli is Vice-President of the European Affairs Committee, and member of the Law Commission in charge of the European monitoring.
Born in Athens, Marietta’s family originates from Volos
ANNIE KOUTRAKIS (canada)
CANADA REPRESENTATIVEAnnie Koutrakis was elected as Member of the Parliament of Canada on October 21st, 2019 in the district of Vimy, in Laval Quebec, within Greater Montreal. She is a government member of the House of Commons and serves also as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families
Annie’s ancestors came originally from Chania Crete, but they were fleeing the Ottoman empire and escaped to Peloponnese, so her grandparents were born in Lachanada Messinias, known as “Κritikohori”.
NICOLE KLARIDES-DITRIA (usa)
USA REPRESENTATIVENicole Klarides-Ditria was elected to the PADEE-WHIA Board of Directors in 2023.
Connecticut State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria was first elected to represent the 105th District in 2016 and has continued to serve the people of Beacon Falls, Seymour, and part of Derby with distinction since.
Her paternal roots trace back to Asia Minor, while her maternal family originates from Mytilini, Lesvos.
STEVE MALAGARI (usa)
USA REPRESENTATIVESteve Malagari was elected to the PADEE-WHIA Board of Directors in 2025.
He was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 53rd District, representing Montgomery County, in 2018 and is currently serving his third term. He serves on several House committees and is Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus.
His mother’s family is from Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece.
KAT THEOPHANOUS (AUSTRALIA)
AUSTRALIA REPRESENTATIVEKat Theophanous was elected to the PADEE-WHIA Board of Directors in 2025.
Kat Theophanous MP has represented Northcote in the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 2018. She currently serves as Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Health and Parliamentary Secretary for Renters.
Her family has Cypriot heritage.
HRYHORIY NEMYRIA (UKRAINE)
NON-EU REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVEHryhoriy Nemyria was elected to the PADEE-WHIA Board of Directors in 2025.
Hryhoriy Nemyria serves as First Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Ukraine and Deputy Chairman of the Batkivshchyna Party. He is originally from Donetsk.
His grandmother, Thekla, born in 1913 in Constantinople, was of Greek origin and descended from the Pontic Greek communities established along the Sea of Azov in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.
Past PADEE-WHIA Presidents
Demetri Dollis (1996-2000)
Nikos Papadopoulos (2000-2002)
Demetrios Giannaros (2002-2009)
John Pandazopoulos (2009-2015)
Thomas Katsiantonis (2015-2016)
Peter Katsambanis (2016-2021)
Alternative Board Members
At the 2025 General Assembly it was resolved to appoint Alternative Board Members from regions to ensure the broadest and best possible representation across the globe. The Alternative Board Members for 2025-2027 are:
Stacey -Anastasia Travers (USA), Tina Courpas (USA), Leonidas Stavrinakis (USA), John Lemondes (USA), Efstathia Booras (USA), Aris Babikian (Canada), Michael McCormack (Australia), Esther Passaris (Kenya)