The Federation of Hellenic-American Organizations of Illinois
2026 Parade
Grand Marshalls
Constantine Zografopoulos
Constantine Zografopoulos is the executive director of the Z Life Organization, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Illinois. He has been a businessman in the foodservice industry for forty years. He is a bilateral amputee from a auto accident and is an advocate in the disability community. He holds a B.S. degree from DePaul University and a M.S. degree from Roosevelt University. He is also fluent in English, Greek, Portuguese and Spanish. Constantine is a public speaker for community organizations, corporations, and associations worldwide. He is dedicated in making a difference in people's lives and spreading his motto of "Just Say Hi!" He has worked on projects with Open Doors Organization to make services and travel accessible to all individuals. He is one of the founders of Perpato, an organization for people with disabilities in Komotini, Greece. Constantine assisted in the Chicago accessible lakefront beach project that includes the annual "Beyond the Waters Beach Party." He is member of the United Airlines Accessible Travel Advisory Board, the Chicagoland Alliance for Disabled Owned Businesses, the Parish Council of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLlab advisory council. He is an Archon member of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Order of St. Andrew. Constantine received the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award and was the 2023 Grand Marshal of the Chicago Disability Pride Parade. He was a Torchbearer for the Athens 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Dr. Chrystalla Mouza
Chrystalla Mouza is the Dean and Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also holds affiliate appointments in the Siebel School of Computing & Data Science, the Center for Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology. Previously, she served as Director and Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, with a joint appointment in Computer and Information Sciences. Dr. Mouza earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of loannina (Greece), and her Ed.D., M.Ed., and M.A. in Instructional Technology and Media from Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed postdoctoral work at the Educational Testing Service. Her scholarship focuses on preparing teachers to effectively integrate technology to support student learning. A prolific scholar, she has co-authored or co-edited six books, published numerous peer-reviewed articles, and secured research funding from the National Science Foundation, industry, and state agencies. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards from the American Educational Research Association, the Association of Teacher Educators, and the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. A native of Cyprus, Dr. Mouza has a longstanding commitment to fostering collaboration between U.S. and Greek institutions, including creating opportunities for preservice teachers to study abroad and complete student teaching placements in Athens. In 2022, she served as a Visiting Scholar at lonian University in Greece and has since advanced a range of collaborative initiatives. She has also contributed her expertise to external evaluation committees for Greek institutions and has been invited to serve as a panelist at conferences organized by academic organizations in Greece and Cyprus.
Mr. Antonis Miriagos
Born on October 31, 1973 on the island of Chios Antonis Miriagos was brought up in both Montreal, Canada and Athens, Greece. He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under the guidance of Dimosthenis Kokkinidis and Dimitris Mytaras. He studied acting at the Theatre Laboratory Embros Drama School, under the tutelage of Anna Makraki, Dimitris Katalifos and Tasos Bantis. Since 2005, he has been collaborating with Attis Theatre and its founder, Theodoros Terzopoulos, taking part in performances staged by that theatre in both Greece and abroad. He has also collaborated with the Athens Festival as well as other theatres. He has participated in various group art exhibitions and also worked as a Painter, Costume Designer and Make-up Artist on the Klepsydra segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Γεννήθηκε στη Χίο το 1973 και μεγάλωσε στο Μόντρεαλ του Καναδά και στην Αθήνα. Είναι απόφοιτος της Ανωτάτης Σχολής Καλών Τεχνών, όπου σπούδασε Ζωγραφική με δάσκαλο τον Δημοσθένη Κοκκινίδη και τον Δημήτρη Μυταρά. Επίσης, σπούδασε Υποκριτική στη Δραματική Σχολή «Εμπρός – Θέατρο Εργαστήριο» με δασκάλους την Άννα Μακράκη, τον Δημήτρη Καταλειφό και τον Τάσο Μπαντή. Από το 2005 συνεργάζεται με το Θέατρο Άττις και τον Θεόδωρο Τερζόπουλο, συμμετέχοντας σε παραστάσεις του στην Ελλάδα και στο εξωτερικό. Έχει συνεργαστεί και με άλλα θέατρα καθώς και με το Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών. Έχει λάβει μέρος σε ομαδικές εκθέσεις ζωγραφικής. Εργάστηκε στην κατασκευή των κουστουμιών και στο μακιγιάζ για το καλλιτεχνικό μέρος Κλεψύδρα που παρουσιάστηκε κατά την τελετή έναρξης των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων-Αθήνα 2004.
Dr. Lia Merminga
Lia Merminga is an internationally renowned accelerator physicist and Distinguished Scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the United States' particle physics and accelerator laboratory in Batavia, IL. She was the first woman to head Fermilab, serving as its seventh director from 2022 to 2025. Prior to that, Merminga led the design and execution of the Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) project, a billion-dollar upgrade to Fermilab's accelerator complex that will enable the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) to unlock the mysteries of our universe. Merminga has held major scientific leadership positions at SLAC Laboratory at Stanford, California; TRIUMF in Vancouver, Canada; and Jefferson Laboratory in Virginia. She held academic appointments at Stanford University, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and the College of William and Mary in the departments of physics and astronomy. Merminga earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Athens, Greece, and master's degrees in physics and mathematics and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Merminga is a fellow of the American Physical Society; the recipient of the 2025 ARGO Award for Science honoring Greek Diaspora; Crain's Chicago Business' Notable Women in STEM 2023; and a graduate of DOE's Oppenheimer Energy Science Leadership Program. She has served and led numerous international scientific committees and is presently serving on the Illinois State University Board of Trustees.
Mr. Constantine Marousis
Konstantinos (Dean) Marousis, has served as President and Director of the George M. Eisenberg Foundation—a private organization committed to philanthropy—since 2004. Dean is married to Kathy and together have three children: Gia, Alexandra, and Niko. He earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago and completed postgraduate studies at Northwestern University. Inspired by his parents, James and Georgia, who were devoted to community service, Dean strives to honor their legacy by continuing their tradition of giving back. Under Dean's leadership, the Foundation's mission centers on assisting individuals who cannot help themselves and advancing medical research, with a particular focus on the Chicago Metropolitan area and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $250 million to medical research and has played a significant role in increasing access to medical care for those in need. In Chicago, the Foundation supports numerous Philoptochos Church organizations, including Dean's own parish, St. Nectarios. These initiatives provide meals for the hungry, clothing for those in need, and aid to other charities. Additionally, the Foundation offers financial assistance to the Greek American Rehabilitation & Care Centre. Dean also serves as a board member of the Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation at Northwestern Medicine, which is dedicated to advancing cancer research. The Foundation has contributed over $8 million to support research efforts through the Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation. In Rochester, MN, the Foundation funded the original Philoxenia House, offering accommodations to patients and their families receiving long-term treatment at the Mayo Clinic. In 2018, it expanded this support by purchasing a second house nearby.