[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7871]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE WOMEN'S ISSUES NETWORK OF THE PANCYPRIAN 
                              ASSOCIATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Women's Issues 
Network (WIN) of the Pancyprian Association of America. This month WIN 
honors Joanna Savvides as Woman of the Year and Evi Rafti and 
Eleftheria Saittis as Members of the Year at its annual dinner-dance.
  Founded in 1996, WIN works on behalf of the Cypriot-American 
community to pave the way to success for future generations of Hellenic 
Americans and to promote Cypriot culture. WIN sponsors numerous 
cultural, health and educational programs, including breast and 
cervical cancer screenings for uninsured women. Additionally, WIN is 
committed to ending the decades-long Turkish occupation of Cyprus. -
This year, WIN honors the distinguished international entrepreneur 
Joanna Savvides. Born in Cyprus, Joanna immigrated with her family to 
America in 1980. She has served as President of the World Trade Center 
of Greater Philadelphia since its foundation in October 2002. Under her 
leadership, the non-profit helped 400 small and medium-sized companies 
expand on the international level, contributing to a surge in the 
volume of goods exported by businesses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 
She also serves as an adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University in 
Philadelphia. Renowned for her cross cultural and international 
business expertise, she is frequently sought after as a lecturer. 
Joanna serves as the President of the Cyprus Society of Greater 
Philadelphia and was a founder and director of the Cypriot Dancers of 
Greater Philadelphia. An accomplished linguist, her knowledge of six 
languages has proven invaluable in international trade. Joanna's 
achievements have been honored by many organizations. The Philadelphia 
Business Journal recognized her with the Women of Distinction Award. 
She has also been honored with the Global Business Award from the 
United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia, the Global 
Leadership Award from the Consular Corps Association of Philadelphia, 
the Heritage Preservation Award from the Cyprus Society of Greater 
Philadelphia, and the Artemis Award from the European American Business 
Council. More than these many honors, however, Joanna cherishes her 
husband, George, and her children, Andreas and Renos.
  WIN honors Evi Rafti as its Member of the Year for her efforts to 
further knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of Cypriot culture. 
Born the youngest of six children in Mosfiloti, Larnaca, she studied at 
Academia Thileon in Nicosia. Shortly after marrying her husband 
Christos, they immigrated to New York in 1969. Evi has retained a 
strong commitment to Cypriot culture as an active member of the vibrant 
Cypriot-American community in our nation's greatest city. During her 
years of volunteering, she has helped plan numerous special events such 
as parades, charity and non-profit fundraisers, and demonstrations. 
Over the past ten years, she has also served as a dedicated member of 
the Board of Directors of the Pancyprian Dance Group. The mother of 
three children, Panayiota, Tatiana, and Stavro, she has instilled in 
them a love of Cypriot culture by inspiring their participation in the 
Pancyprian Dance Group and youth groups, and the Eleftheria soccer 
team.
  WIN honors Eleftheria Saittis as Member of the Year for her 
dedication to the Cypriot community. Born in the village of Agios 
Theodoros Karpasias (now under Turkish occupation), she graduated with 
a diploma in fashion design from the Professional School New Horizon in 
Famagusta. To continue her education, Eleftheria immigrated to New 
York. Her family joined her after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 
1974. Eleftheria is a dedicated and generous member of the Cyprian 
community. She devotes much of her time and energy to serving on the 
Pancyprian Dance Group's Board of Directors. She also works as a 
teacher's aide for the New York City Department of Education. She is 
devoted to her husband, Michalis, and her children, Prodromos, 
Konstantine and Konstantina. One of her proudest moments occurred when 
she graduated from the City University of New York with her 
granddaughter Evangelia in attendance.
  Madam Speaker, I request that my esteemed colleagues join me in 
paying tribute to the Women's Issues Network of the Pancyprian 
Association of America and its distinguished honorees, Joanna Savvides, 
Evi Rafti, and Eleftheria Saittis.

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