Lea Soupata, the newly installed Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Hellenic Society (NHS), has announced an ambitious drive to secure the future of the organization’s signature cultural initiative, the Heritage Greece Program, with an initial goal of raising $10 million for a new legacy fund.
Soupata, a former Senior Vice President of Human Resources at UPS, succeeded Drake Behrakis, under whose visionary leadership, the Society has achieved record-breaking membership and programmatic growth. A hallmark of Behrakis’s legacy is his instrumental role in expanding the Heritage Greece Program, which continues to inspire and connect young Greek-Americans with their cultural roots.
Speaking to Greek Reporter, Soupata said she turned her focus to philanthropy following her retirement, explaining that the NHS quickly became the cause she wanted to devote her time to.
“When I retired, I felt, now is the time for me to… give back to the Greek community,” Soupata said. She singled out the success of the Heritage Greece Program—which fully sponsors over 100 college-age Greek-American students each year on a two-week cultural immersion trip—as the primary reason she joined the society.
The chairwoman stressed that the program is critical for the continuity of Hellenic culture in North America. “We have so many mixed marriages,” she noted, “if we don’t do something, we’re going to lose our Hellenic heritage. It’ll just be so watered down.”
The Heritage Greece program, offered in partnership with institutions like the American College of Greece and the American College of Thessaloniki, focuses on language, culture, ancient sites, and exposure to modern Greece, including burgeoning businesses.
According to Soupata, the impact of the program is clear, resulting in “over a thousand alumni” who are “creating the next generation of Greek leadership.”
She also highlighted the transparency of the effort: “There are so many organizations that you can give money to, but you don’t really know where your money’s going… But with Heritage Greece, you know exactly, because you can count how many young people we send to Greece,” she told Greek Reporter.
NHS Chairwoman announces $10 million legacy fund
To ensure this critical work continues, Soupata confirmed the NHS is “relaunching our legacy fund, which you could say endowment, but it’s our Heritage Greece Legacy Fund.”
The immediate financial task is to hit the eight-figure mark. “We have an initial goal of $10 million,” she stated, adding, “we want to sustain our Heritage Greece program. And in order to do that, we cannot only rely on… membership dues… we have to do something that’s more long lasting.”
The endowment push is scheduled to be a major highlight of the upcoming Heritage Weekend gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona, which brings together members, prospective members (often via referral), and program alumni.
Soupata emphasized that the gathering is a chance for members to renew their commitment and connect with the students. “You can see them, you see their progress,” she said, underscoring the purpose of their fundraising. The students, who are only required to pay their airfare, are encouraged to “give back” by volunteering or sharing their “life-changing” experience at their universities.
The application window for the fully-sponsored two-week program, open to college-age Greek-American students (19-25) with a minimum 3.0 GPA, typically launches every December.
With Soupata’s leadership and Behrakis’s ongoing efforts, the NHS hopes that it is poised for a future of unprecedented growth and impact. Together, they will further the Society’s mission to honor, celebrate, and preserve Hellenic heritage for generations to come.
