2023-2024 Fanari Camping Ministries Leadership Team
Camp Director - Maria Pentaris
Maria is a certified high school special education teacher at Neuqua Valley High School. She attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, IL where she has been an active member. Maria started her camp experience as a camper and over the years has been a counselor, theater staff member, ran evening activities, and was the staff director, and the assistant director. Maria is excited to now be taking on the role of the Director of Fanari Camping Ministries. Maria has a love for working with the youth of our church and helping them grow closer to Christ. She hopes to have a small impact on everyone she interacts with at camp so they can be forever changed for having been a part of the Fanari Camp Experience. Maria has been a lifelong die-hard fan of the New Kids on the Block and the Chicago Cubs. When she is not preparing and planning for camp she can be found spending quality time with family and friends.
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries - Fr. Kosmas Kallis
Born in Livonia, Michigan, Fr. Kosmas was shaped by the Church. He served as an altar boy in his home parish and participated in GOYA, Summer Camp and the CrossRoad Institute. He earned a BA in Religious Studies from Hellenic College in 2012 and an MDiv (with High Distinction) from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2014. Soon after graduation, Fr. Kosmas joined the Saints Peter and Paul parish as a full-time youth director, a position he held until 2018. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate in October of 2015 and to the Holy Priesthood in March of 2016. In January of 2019, Fr. Kosmas was appointed Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries of the Chicago Metropolis, a position that he currently holds. Fr. Kosmas is married to Anna Kallis, and they have a son named Jonah, and a daughter named Mara.
Operations Director - Chrysanthe Agos
Chrysanthe has been involved with Fanari Camp since 2007 as a camper, and hasn't missed a summer since she was able to come back as a counselor. In the years of the transition from camper to counselor, she also attended Ionian Village where she was able to create a closer bond with her faith, in preparation of her first summer as a Fanari counselor. She attends St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago, IL where she also teaches Greek dance at Solon Greek School and is the director of the Sunday School. When not participating in youth and young adult ministries, Chrysanthe is a 2nd Grade teacher having her BA in Elementary Education (K-9).
She enjoys traveling, getting lost in a good book, and selling swag at the camp store! She's excited to see everyone once again this summer!
Staff Director - Demetrios Fotopoulos
He’s back! Demetrios is stoked to return as Fanari Camp’s Male Staff Director! Demetrios has been involved with Fanari since 2017, initially as a camper. He was also a camper at the first Lighthouse Camp, a transformative and spiritually-empowering experience. After being a five-week counselor, Demetrios took on the role of staff director in late 2022. A Chicagoan by birth and a Hoosier by law, Demetrios attends the Indiana parishes of St. George in Schererville and St. Andrew in South Bend.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, Demetrios is majoring in psychology and Greco-Roman civilizations and minoring in European studies, peace studies, and constitutional studies. He plans to attend law school after undergrad. During their visit to South Bend in 2021, Demetrios had the privilege of working with the event staff escorting His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarchal Delegation. For his fall 2023 semester, Demetrios studied abroad in Athens, Greece.
Demetrios loves talking about the Clone Wars, superheroes, Greek pop music, and his school (Go Irish!). He can’t wait to be at camp again and to grow in his faith alongside fellow staff and campers.
Staff Director - Julia Economy
Julia is excited for another year as the Female Staff Director! She attends Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Glenview, IL. At SSPP, she served as the GOYA president for several years and was a part of the GOAL basketball team. Currently, Julia will graduate with her Doctorate of Pharmacy Degree from Purdue University in May 2024. She is involved in Orthodox Christian Fellowship at Purdue, where she has been able to connect with other Orthodox Christians and have a sense of community. When she’s not studying hard, Julia likes to get competitive by playing basketball, badminton and board games.
Being on the leadership team for the past three summers, Julia has added many things to her Fanari resumé: co-writer and performer of the “Rules of Fanari” rap, 10-time spirit winner (10-1 record), breakfast waffle connoisseur, and dance/spirit machine. Her goal this summer is to be a mentor that excites and brings the staff and campers deeper into their faith… and add more accomplishments to her Fanari resumé. It’s no coincidence that Julia won the spirit award many times – she brings some serious hyped energy to her cabin and she looks forward to spreading her infectious spirit to the staff this summer. Julia cannot wait to create more amazing memories with staff, campers, and clergy this summer. Let’s “have fun and party” at Fanari 2024!
Programming Team - Gray Kafkes
Gray has been involved with Fanari Camp since 2015 and is ecstatic to be back for another summer! Gray earned his bachelors degree in Music Education with a minor in losing his voice at football games, as a member of the marching band, in 2019.
He is now a music teacher in Miami, Florida, but he grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago. Gray got involved in Fanari after his experience as a camper at Ionian Village in 2014 and fell in love with youth ministry. He is looking forward to another amazing summer at Fanari Camp!
Programming Team - Anna Smith
Anna is super excited for this summer! She has been a part of the Fanari family since her first summer in 2012 as a camper. After having been a counselor for 4 years, she is now thrilled to be a part of the Programming Team! In addition to Fanari camp, Anna has been to lonian Village and IOCC's Serve-X-Treme where she has grown closer to her faith and to other Orthodox Christians. Anna is a 2023 graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor's degree in nursing and a minor in theology.
At Fanari, Anna is a proud member of the Ni Ka Zoos, enjoys water zumba, and pitching the Staff vs. Camper's softball game (sorry campers!) She is most looking forward to meeting new faces and seeing familiar ones.
In her free time, Anna enjoys bike rides, Bananagrams, and baking. She is ready for a spirited summer!
Programming Team - Grant Smith
Grant originally entered the Fanari community in 2013 as a camper and has been dedicated to giving back the spirit of camaraderie and faithfulness that was so impactful to him in the past. After three consecutive years serving as a camp counselor, Grant is now stepping into our Programming Team. He has always been a proud member of the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Elgin, Illinois, where he has led a Greek dance troupe and has organized parts of the parish’s Vacation Bible School in the summer.
Grant is developing his career in music composition and is always ready to express his affinity towards it. Even non-verbally, he can regularly be seen dancing to some tune or tapping away to keep a tempo. Grant is yet again eager to put forth another year of service to the camp!
Social Media Director - Connie Koustenis
Connie is a high school math teacher in the off-season where she uses her math skills to count the days until Fanari Camp begins! Connie’s home parish is Holy Apostles in Westchester, IL, and she has attended Fanari in previous years as a camper, counselor and staff director. She is now elated this year to be able to use her talents to keep the Fanari Camp community connected through social media. You’ll spot Connie around camp trying to spot the perfect photo opp, even through the most unconventional of methods.
Connie is married to James (whom she met at Ionian Village and was also a Fanari Camp counselor!) and has a son named Teddy.
5Week Girls Counselor - Aspa Drikos
Having experienced Fanari as a camper, Aspa is very excited to be a part of the Fanari Leadership Staff this year! This is her first year serving as a counselor, but from 2016 to 2023, she attended as a camper, finishing out with Lighthouse this past summer. Aspa grew up going to St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Heights, IL, and has been actively involved in GOYA, Sunday School, and the church’s choir throughout the years.
Currently, she is a freshman at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. At school, Aspa is majoring in International Studies, minoring in Spanish, and is a member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, with hopes of finding a career in diplomacy. She is also working with the administration to open up a new chapter of Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF). Growing up in a faithful community rooted in the principles of kindness, compassion, service, and love inspires her to continue striving for growth, both within and outside of the church.
In her free time, Aspa enjoys a multitude of things, including working out at the gym, hiking, and when the weather is nice, running. She also enjoys spending time with her four siblings, the rest of her family and friends, and will talk to you about books and music for hours. Overall, Aspa is very much looking forward to spending her summer at Fanari, and hopes that she’ll be able to share the light that she was always shown when she was at camp.
5Week Guys Counselor - Christian Katris
Christian is very excited for this summer! Last year was Christian’s first time as a counselor, and this year he decided to join the leadership team. His home Parish is St. Nectarios in Palatine, and some of his favorite memories come from volunteering at Greek Fest. Christian has also been a member of GOYA, as well as playing for the Church Basketball team all through middle school. He is currently in his sophomore year at Indiana University, studying Finance in the Kelley School of Business. Christian is a huge Chicago sports fan, and he enjoys playing basketball, listening to music, and golfing.
Christian attended Fanari camp as a camper for 6 years, and it gave him some amazing memories. He is hoping to help his campers create amazing memories and get closer to their faith!
5Week Girls Counselor - Eleni Kurtis
Eleni is super excited to be at Fanari for 5 weeks as part of the Leadership Team this coming summer! Though this is her first time on the counselor side of camp, it is certainly not her first time with Fanari since she has been a camper since 2017! Her home parish is St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church in South Bend, IN, but she is currently attending St. Alexis’ in Lafayette, IN.
Currently, Eleni is a freshman studying marketing at Purdue University and is very active in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) chapter as well as the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC). In her free time, she enjoys going on spontaneous adventures, listening to music, and of course, getting a nice cup of coffee with friends. This summer, Eleni hopes to bring the same light to her campers as her staff brought to her throughout her Fanari, Lighthouse, and CrossRoad experiences.
5Week Guys Counselor - James Nicholas
James is extremely excited to be a 5W counselor for the first time. James has experienced Fanari camp for 7 years and Lighthouse camp for 1 year and cannot wait to translate his experience into counseling at Fanari camp. He has dedicated time to his home Parish, Holy Apostles, by serving in Altar since middle school, being a member of GOYA, and by participating in the dynasty of the HA basketball team. With his free time, James enjoys playing basketball, working out, and getting some Victory Royales on Fortnite.
This summer, James will have finished his freshman year at College of Dupage, where he plans on majoring in Accounting. With this in mind, he cannot wait to be apart of the Fanari family and aims to create new relationships and to be like the great counselors he had as a camper.
5Week Guys Counselor - Louis Nicholas
Louis cannot wait to be a 5W counselor for his first year of counseling. Louis has been involved in Fanari for seven years now as a camper and he looks forward to bringing his energy and compassion to Fanari! He has been a member of GOYA since he was young, was part of a Holy Apostles Dynasty Basketball Team, and has served in the altar since middle school. Now, he studies the the College of DuPage, where he will look to get his associate’s in Science on a Pre-Physical Therapy Track. He plans on majoring in Exercise Science and pursuing a career as a physical therapist.
Louis has also attended Lighthouse Camp in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and has fostered new friendships and connections through his experiences at camp. He looks to recreate this and have tons of fun this summer at Fanari!
5Week Guys Counselor - Vasili Peroulas
Vasili is excited to be a part of the Fanari Leadership team. He can not wait to be a member of this organization and make this the best summer ever! He has attended Fanari every year since he was in 6th grade and is now excited to be returning as a counselor.
Vasili is an active member at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines, IL, where he has taken an active role in many of the church ministries. He enjoys Greek dancing and teaches for multiple organizations. In his free time, he enjoys Greek dancing, playing basketball, watching football, and spending time with his younger brothers. Vasili's hope for this upcoming summer is to be a memorable counselor who will be a positive influence on the campers. He hopes to provide the same experiences to others that inspired him to become a counselor himself. Above all else, he hopes to inspire others and bring them closer to God.
5Week Girls Counselor - Lia Prassas
Lia cannot wait to join the leadership team this summer as a 5 Week counselor! This will be her second year counseling at Fanari after falling in love with the camp experience just last year. In her first week alone, she was a three-time spirit stick and Olympics winner, and will be bringing the energy to camp all five weeks next summer! Lia’s home parish is St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Palos Heights, IL, but when she is away at school, she attends Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Indianapolis, IN.
This summer, Lia will have completed her sophomore year at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences on the pre-med track. At school, she is involved in Butler’s Pre-Medical Society, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), and the newly founded Hellenic Student Association (HSA), where she is serving on the executive board as secretary. In her free time, Lia enjoys spending time with her sorority sisters as an active member of Alpha Phi’s Epsilon Beta chapter and is super passionate about their philanthropic events supporting women’s heart health.
Lia also loves spending time with her family, trying new restaurants, shopping, traveling, and all things Disney! She is so excited to continue growing in her faith this summer and make lasting memories at camp alongside her co-counselors and campers!