PARISH BULLETIN

REFERENCE:  BOARD OF TRUSTEES (PARISH COUNCIL) ELECTIONS
FOR 2026/2027 ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2025.

Dear Steward:

This year there are seven (7) candidates to fill the six (6) vacancies on the Saint Sophia Cathedral Board of Trustees for the 2026/2027-year term.  Per the Archdiocese Uniform Parish Regulations (UPR), Saint Sophia is required to hold an election to vote for these candidates.  Stewards may vote for up to six (6) candidates.  Write-in candidates are not allowed.  If you vote for more than six (6) candidates your ballot will be automatically disqualified.

The Election for the Board of Trustees will be held at the Cathedral on Sunday, December 7, 2025, immediately after the Divine Liturgy at approximately 11:30 AM and continue until 1 PM, at which time voting will end. Any parishioner in line at 1 pm will be permitted to vote.

In the event that the District of Columbia Government declares a State of Emergency by 12 PM (noon) on December 7, 2025 because of severe weather or other hazardous conditions making it inadvisable for parishioners to travel to church on that Sunday, elections will be postponed until the following Sunday, December 14, 2025.

Six (6) of the current 12 members of the Board of Trustees will have completed the term for which they were elected. Seven (7) candidates have been nominated to fill those six (6) vacancies.  Therefore, six (6) new members will be elected for the 2026/2027 year term. The names of this year’s candidates are:

• Peter Antonoplos
• Janice Calomiris
• Diane Cerniglia
• Effie Frankowski
• Nicholas Margarites
• Carole Galantis Verner
• Nicholas Zuppas

Enclosed you will find a sample ballot. The bios for each of the candidates will be sent electronically.

By voting, you participate in the administration of your Church.  The right to vote is a privilege of your membership/stewardship.  Please read carefully the following policies and regulations governing the eligibility to vote.

Eligibility to Vote – Only “Members in Good Standing,” defined as follows, are eligible to vote:

1. The Uniform Parish Regulation (UPR) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America defines a member in good standing and eligible to vote as one who is current in his or her stewardship and other financial obligations to the Parish. (Article 18, §1).
2. For dues paying parishioners, the need for payment in full by Election Day in order to vote is still a valid requirement.
3. Those parishioners paying their stewardship on a periodic basis, such as through Faith Direct or ParishSoft, shall be in good standing and eligible to vote provided that, as of Election Day, they are current in their payment plan (e.g., if they pay a monthly amount, then they have paid at least 11/12 of their pledged amount by Election Day).
4. New parishioners may vote if they have been parishioners in good standing for at least three (3) months prior to Election Day.  (Saint Sophia By-Laws, Article III, §1(e)(1)(a)(ii).)
5. Members in Arrears become a “Member in Good Standing” by paying, in full, all current and prior financial obligations at least 30 days prior to Election Day in order to vote.  If such member wishes to pay only the current year’s membership dues/Stewardship, then the “New Member” rule applies as defined above.  (Saint Sophia By-Laws, Article III, §1(e)(1)(a)(iii).)
6. Members wishing to participate in the election of two or more Parishes must pay their dues to each parish in full. (Saint Sophia By-Laws, Article III, §1(e)(1)(a)(iv).)

Absentee Ballots ­­

1. Absentee ballots may be cast by Members in Good Standing who are either confined at home or in a health care facility or out of town on the day of the election. Members desiring absentee ballots may request a ballot from the Cathedral’s Office Administrator, who will receive guidance and direction from the Chairperson of the Board of Elections. A ballot will be mailed to or may be picked up only by the voter.  Return of the absentee ballot may be done by anyone designated by the voter. Requests for absentee ballots to be sent by mail to the voter should be made at least two weeks prior to Election Day in order to ensure timely receipt and return to the Cathedral of the absentee ballot. Ballots may be requested to be mailed thereafter; however, the Board of Elections will not be responsible for the timely receipt by the requestor of the absentee ballot.

2. The absentee ballot must be returned to the Cathedral office no later than 12 PM (noon) Sunday, December 7, 2025. The ballot must be sealed in an envelope and on the face of the envelope one of the following certificates must be written.  A member casting an absentee ballot is not to sign his name on the ballot itself but should sign only the certificate on the envelope:

• “I certify that I am casting an absentee ballot for the election of Sunday, December 7, 2025, by reason of being sick or by reason of being an invalid confined to my home under doctor’s care.” (Signature)
• “I certify that I am casting an absentee ballot by reason of my absence from the Metropolitan Washington Area on Election Day, Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Signature)                   

c.   All absentee ballots (sealed) must be received by the Board of Elections not later than 12 PM (noon) on Election Day.  All sealed, unopened envelopes that contain the absentee ballots shall be secured in the Cathedral Office’s safe and in the custody of the Board of Elections.  On Election Day, in the voting room, and after the completion of voting and prior to the tabulation of the ballots, the Board of Elections shall remove the folded absentee ballots from the sealed envelopes and deposit them, still unfolded, into the ballot box.

A list of members/stewards in good standing and who are eligible to vote in this election is maintained in the Cathedral Office and will be updated as dues are paid.  If you are not current in your membership/stewardship obligations, please do so HERE, if possible prior to December 7, 2025, to facilitate voting.  If you have any questions regarding our election procedures, contact the Board of Elections through the Cathedral Office, (202) 333-4730 or 202-838-1553.

Sincerely Yours,

Rev. Dr. Steven P. Zorzos,
Presiding Priest

Electra Anest, Chairperson
Board of Elections

Helen Farmer, Vice Chairperson
Board of Elections

Deborah Charles, Member
Board of Elections

William Lockhart, Member
Board of Elections

Katherine Patterson, Member
Board of Elections

Voula Tsoutsouras, Member
Board of Elections
                              

2026-2027

CANDIDATES

This year there are seven (7) candidates to fill the six (6) vacancies on the Saint Sophia Cathedral Board of Trustees for the 2026/2027-year term.

Peter Antonoplos

 

Peter Antonoplos is a highly respected lawyer and the founder of Antonoplos & Associates, a law firm located in Washington, D.C. He has extensive experience in real estate, wills and trusts, estate planning, asset protection, and business law, both in litigation and transactional matters.

Throughout his career, Peter has represented a diverse group of clients, including individuals and families, institutions, businesses, real estate developers, foreign governments, hedge funds, and national banking associations. He is known for his ability to find creative solutions to complex issues, and for his results-driven advocacy.

Peter is a native of Washington, D.C. and received his J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, where he was a member of the Catholic University Law Review. After law school, he gained valuable experience at the firms of Baise & Miller and Carter Ledyard & Milburn before earning his L.L.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He also holds an M.B.A. from Yale University’s School of Management. He is a life long steward of Saint Sophia Cathedral and has served 6 years on the Parish Council.

Janice Calomiris

Diane Bochanis Cerniglia

I am a lifelong member of Saint Sophia and am proud to continue the legacy of service set by my parents. This year, I was honored to receive the Servant Leadership Award and the Medal of Saint Paul. I taught Sunday School for 53 years and have previously served as Parish Council secretary and vice-president. I also chair the buffet cashiers at the festival and conduct tours both at the festival and for other groups throughout the year. My goals include initiatives both to strengthen our youth programs and to encourage our graduates to remain active in their faith and their church. I taught high school English for 40 years and hold a B.A. degree in English Education and an M.Ed. degree in Administration.

Effie Frankowski

As a current and former member of our Parish Council, I am honored to be running again. I hold a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Maryland and spent 12 years in the hotel industry before choosing to stay home to raise my two daughters. Once they entered school, I began a new career with Montgomery County Public Schools, where I have proudly served for 15 years. Last year, I embraced a new challenge as a Special Needs teacher and am now pursuing my Master’s degree.

My love for our Orthodox faith was instilled by my parents and Godparents, Menelaos and Maria Kafarakis. I was blessed to grow up between Saint Sophia and Saint Constantine and Helen, though Saint Sophia has always been home, where three generations of my family were baptized and married.

A proud graduate of our Sunday School and GOYA programs, I led JOY and Little Angels for eight years before becoming a Youth Advisor in 2019. I am deeply committed to the future of Saint Sophia and its youth ministries, our youth are truly the future of our faith and our Cathedral.

Nicholas Margarites

Saint Sophia is an integral part of my life. This is where my parents were married, I was baptized, met my wife and married. Both my children were baptized here as well. I have served as interim Treasurer since January of this year and wish to continue supporting our community.

My focus is on bringing financial & operational guidance and ensuring financial resources are managed with integrity, care, and transparency. I have more than 30 years of experience in finance. I began my career as a CPA in public accounting and have held key corporate leadership roles including Controller, VP of Finance, CAO, and CFO of both private and public companies. My experience includes being part of executive management teams building companies from their early stages through hyper-growth and eventual exit.

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland at College Park and am a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. I am currently an inactive CPA.

Carole Galantis Verner

Since moving to Washington, D.C nearly eight years ago, I have been blessed to be a member of the Saint Sophia community. Previously, I was a member of Holy Trinity- Holy Cross in Birmingham, AL and Saint Demetrios in Daytona Beach, Florida, and bring to Saint Sophia valuable insights from these parishes, along with a career focused on customer service and family-owned business management.

Since joining Saint Sophia, I’ve dedicated my time to volunteering and have helped implement several new initiatives to support our philanthropic giving. Specifically, through the Philoptochos, Baking Committee, Narthex Usher Team, and as a Parish Council member since June 2025. I am particularly proud of the fundraising efforts I have spearheaded for Philoptochos and am committed to securing the resources to support our church and give back to the larger Orthodox community. As a grandmother to two young boys, I’ll continue to work to welcome the next generation and ensure the church meets the needs of our families and children. I’d be honored to continue serving Saint Sophia’s Parish Council and supporting our shared mission of faith and service.

OUR CLERGY

The Reverend Gregory Gatanas, M. Div.
Assistant Priest

Hospital Calls: Our priests make hospital calls upon request. However, to avoid misunderstandings, they will only respond to the call of an immediate family member of the hospitalized person.

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and may His abundant blessings be on each of you and your families.

Giving Tuesday is personal – it’s all about giving back to persons and institutions near and dear to your heart. It’s about honoring what is truly important to you.

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Thank you for supporting our shared ministry.  Thank you for sharing your love.