HomePAA - Women's Chapters

PAA Women's Executive Director

Irene A. Peros
womensdirector@pancretan.org

PAA's Women's Executive Committee

I am thankful for the privilege to serve PAA as the Women’s Executive Director (WED) and honored to represent our talented, courageous and inspirational women of this dynamic organization.

Our Women are committed to preserving our Cretan traditions and vibrant culture by reinforcing our
values and exemplifying the virtues of compassion and resilience. This is an enormous responsibility and can only be successfully accomplished with the help of great leadership. The committee discovered that having only Women's chapters did not make
for a complete representation of all the women members of PAA. Therefore, the WED Committee, as one of its primary initiatives, is to request, recruit, and encourage women representatives from all the mixed chapters to join the Committee including women in other PAA leadership positions. Our goal is to be inclusive and not segregate any women.

I want to thank these dynamic women for their commitment, love and passion for everything Cretan and their willingness to support and encourage future generations to preserve our heritage and embrace our culture.

PAA Women and Leadership Roles

The Cretan women across the United States began organizing chapters in their cities as early as 1930.
Women have served in many leadership roles in the PAA. In the early years of the PAA most women served as chapter or district secretary or treasurer. History was made in 2023 when PAA members elected Diane Kounalakis, the first woman president of the Pancretan Association.

KPHTH Magazine Archives

The Cretan women across the United States began organizing chapters in their cities as early as 1930. They created a fellowship with those of common interests and language while establishing themselves in their new country. Since their inception, the PAA women have contributed to the many cultural and philanthropic projects both in the United States and in Crete, Greece. Their accomplishments and legacies are archived in our PAA KPHTH magazine.

PAA Women--The Pancretan Archives

Convention Events

The PAA Conventions dedicate one evening event to the Women's Executive Director (WED) and Culture and Education Chair. During the convention and dinner/dance, their combined event centers around a specific theme.

CLICK HERE to view "Cretan Rock Roses" presented at the Women's/Cultural Night during the 48th PAA Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

Current Women's Chapters

Read more about PAA Women's' chapters in the United States on pages 11-12 of the KPHTH Magazine June/July Issue 2024.

Here are the names of the six current PAA Women's Chapters:

Proodos, Chapter #105
Pasiphae, Chapter #202
Cretan Sisterhood of NY #206
Cretan Ladies Society KPHTH #409
Daughters of Minos #502
Cretan Sisterhood Eleftheria, Chapter #608

WED Chapter Presidents

Women Serving as Presidents of Combined Chapters

District 2:
Theodora Petrakis, Cretan Association of Washington, DC
Maria Mendrinos, Omalos

District 3:
Maria N. Detorakis, Cretan Association of Akron
Maria Bourlakis, Knossos Canton, Ohio
Dr. Vasilia Vamvakis-Tsikouris, Peroulakis/Theodorakis Cretan Association of Youngstown
Valerie Lakios, Venizelos
Sophia Getchell, Arkadi-Maleme

District 4:
Marianthe Zervas,Cretan Association of Amalthia

District 6:
Rose Hunter, Cretans of Marin and Sonoma Counties
Ava Angelopoulos, Theriso

District 7:
Eleftheria Winters, Ariadne, San Antonio
Sofia Karachalios, Cretan Association of Miami