North Shore Residents Headed To Greek Prime Minister's Address To Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A pair of Greek American residents from Chicago's North Shore are set to attend the Greek prime minister's address to Congress Tuesday.

Jeanne Polydoris, of Lake Forest, and Yianni Konstantinou, of Highland Park, were invited to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's address by U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Highland Park), according to the congressman's office.

Polydoris is the granddaughter of one of the soldiers who liberated Nazi concentration camps in World War II and has been a longtime advocate for veterans and their families, Schneider's office announced. She was previously appointed to the Veterans Advisory Council by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, most recently in 2019, and currently serves on leadership committees for Rush University Medical Centers' Road Home Program and Heart and Vascular Institute.

Konstantinou is an entrepreneur and an advocate on behalf of the Greek American community, a supporter of the Highland Park Community Foundation and a proponent of close U.S.-Greek ties through the Hellenic American Leadership Council, according to Schneider's office.

"Both demonstrate extraordinary dedication, care, and service to our friends and neighbors throughout Illinois," Schneider said in a statement. "The spirit of the Greek people was on full display in their aid to Ukrainians, and that spirit carries on here through Yianni and Jeanne. They are shining examples of the hard work and compassion of the Greek American community."

According to federal campaign finance records, Polydoris has never contributed money to Schneider's campaign, while Konstantinou gave $3,000 to Schneider in 2021, after having contributed $6,500 to his campaigns between 2014 and 2018.

Mitsotakis, who took over as prime minister of Greece in July 2019, was invited to speak to Congress for a belated marking of the bicentennial of the establishment of modern Greece. The anniversary occurred last year, but the commemoration was delayed due to COVID-19.

In an invitation letter last month, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Mitsotakis that the United States and Greece share an "unshakable bond" of shared history and values.

"When drafting our Constitution, our Founders drew on the Ancient Greek ideals of liberty and democracy. Decades later, the Hellenic Republic was born of the same yearning for independence and self-government that ignited the American Revolution," Pelosi said. "Today, more than two centuries later, our nations are key allies on the world stage: advancing our mutual security and economic interests, as well as promoting our shared democratic values in the world."

President Joe Biden met with Mitsotakis and Greek First Lady Mareva Grabowska-Mitsotaki Monday in Washington, D.C. A reception at the White House is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Central Time. The prime minister's address to Congress Tuesday is due to begin at 10 a.m. Central.