Fr. Theofanis Rauch
Spiritual Advisor
Meet our Conference Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Theofanis Rauch!
Fr. Theofanis is originally from the small town of St. John, Indiana. He graduated from Holy Cross in May of 2021 with his M. Div., and was ordained shortly after. Fr. Theofanis served for 2 years at St. Demetrios in Elmhurst, IL as the second priest and youth director before his transfer to serve as the priest of All Saints in Peoria, IL in August of 2023. Fr. Theofanis is married to his beautiful wife, Presvytera Lydia, and they have two sons named Fanourios and Theodore. Fr. Theofanis feels so blessed to be the spiritual advisor for the YAL Conference, and he looks forward to working with the amazing young adults of this Metropolis!
Evalina Bournias
Conference Chair
Meet one of our YAL Conference Chairs, Evalina Bournias!
Evalina is back for her fifth year on the conference board, and she couldn’t be more excited! She is from the northern suburbs of Chicago and is a steward of her parish, Holy Taxiarhai and Saint Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church of Niles, IL. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (I-L-L!) in 2020 with a degree in Economics, and currently works in the Human Resources department for tms. Evalina has always loved being involved in the Metropolis since she was a young age and continues to be heavily involved. She currently serves as a one of her parish’s YAL board members and Jr. Olympics track coaches, as well as a member of the YAL Chicago Executive Board. Some things Evalina loves (almost) as much as her faith is traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her beautiful goddaughter!
John Panos
Conference Chair
Meet one of our YAL Conference Chairs, John Panos!
John was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, but now lives in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL where he attends St. George Greek Orthodox Church. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 2019 (‘sko Cats), John came to Chicago for work, selling software to car dealerships (very glamorous) for Reynolds & Reynolds and is happy he did. When he isn’t working, he’s helping run Chicago and Pittsburgh YAL Conferences, spending time with friends as much as possible and trying new restaurants for his food instagram @PanosPlates. He looks forward to growing his involvement in the YAL community wherever he can apply himself, and is very excited to help lead this year’s conference!
Evan Vouris
Conference Chair
Meet one of our YAL Conference Chairs, Evan Vouris!
Evan was raised in Orland Park, IL growing up at Saints Constantine and Helen in Palos Hills. This is Evan’s second year as the Conference Co-Chair and is ecstatic about this role. Evan graduated from DePaul University with degrees in Accounting and Finance. He works as a Staff Accountant at a Private Equity firm, GTCR. Within the Metropolis, Evan has been a Junior Olympics coach, a camp counselor for Fanari, and attended both Ionian Village and Fanari. In his free time, you can catch Evan playing in various men’s soccer leagues, or watching his favorite tv show The Sopranos!
Bella Buck
Speaker Committee
Meet Bella Buck, one of our Speaker Chairs!
Bella was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MI where she is a steward of Holy Trinity. After graduating in 2019 with a BA in English Writing, she served as a staff member at Ionian Village, and she continues to work at various Orthodox Camps every summer! Since then, she has been leading her parish YAL and currently serves on the Telos Project Board at Holy Trinity Grand Rapids. During the week, Bella works for the Mental Health Foundation of West
Michigan - be nice. coordinating mental health education and suicide prevention programming. She spends the rest of her time with family, traveling to see friends, scooping at Tippy Cow Ice Cream, and coaching tennis. Bella is excited to work with the Metropolis of Chicago YAL Board in helping to plan for a great conference weekend!
Zack Chiganos
Service Project Committee
Meet one of the Service Project Chairs, Zack Chiganos!
Zack is in his second year working with the conference board and is no stranger to YAL conferences! Zack was born and raised in Downers Grove, IL. He attends Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, where his papou, Fr Bill of blessed memory, was the head priest. Zack attended Illinois State University and received a business degree with a minor in entrepreneurship. He now works at Zogalo Foods, as a production manager for his family’s business. Over the years Zack has been very involved within the parish and metropolis, playing basketball for the HA team, counseling at Fanari Camp, and an active member of YAL. In his free time, you can find Zack playing in his men’s league basketball team and traveling.
Constance Chrones
Programming Committee
Meet one of our Programming Chairs, Constance Chrones!
Constance is from Glenview, IL growing up at St. Andrew's Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020, and is now in her final semester of law school at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. At UIC Law, Constance is the President of the Hellenic Law Society, an active volunteer for the Hellenic Bar Association, was a legal extern for the UIC Law Pro-Bono Litigation Clinic, a student attorney at the Skokie Courthouse, a law clerk at an estate planning firm and is currently working in the legal department within the Department of Homeland Security. Within the Metropolis, Constance has been on the YAL Chicago Board for three years, participated in Junior Olympics, attended Fanari, was a camp counselor at Fanari, and was involved with OCF at UIUC. In her free time, Constance loves watching the Real Housewives Franchise, working at lululemon and going to pilates!
Marina Dimas
Programming Committee
Meet one of our Programming Chairs, Marina Dimas!
Marina was born in Wheaton, IL and grew up attending Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, IL. She graduated from Indiana University in 2019 (Go Hoosiers!) and currently works at a media agency for Quaker Oats brands. Marina has served on the YAL Chicago Board and Conference Committee for three years and. Additionally, she dedicates her time to initiatives that are spear-headed through the Office of Vocation and Ministry at HCHC such as Telos and CrossRoad. When she’s not content creating or planning events for YAL, you can find Marina traveling, trying new recipes, and attending concerts. She can’t wait to help plan another incredible conference for YAL Chicago!
Ellie Ioannides
Registration Committee
Meet one of our Registration Chairs, Ellie Ioannides!
Ellie is new to the YAL family this year and is excited to help plan the upcoming conference! She is originally from Crown Point, Indiana and a member of SS. Constantine and Helen in Merrillville, Indiana. In 2020, she graduated from Indiana University and in May 2023 earned her Master’s Degree in Jurisprudence from McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis! Within her parish, she helps with her Greek Fest, VBS, and Bedtime Bible Stories, an annual summer camp for Pre-K kids! Ellie is eager to become more involved with YAL and grow her faith. In her free time, she loves to jam out to classic rock songs during workouts, spend time with family and friends, travel to new places, try new recipes, and cheer on the Patriots during NFL Sundays!
Peter Karos
Speaker Committee
Meet one of our Speaker Chairs, Peter Karos!
Peter is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota but currently resides in Chicago attending St. George Lincoln Park. Peter studied Finance at the University of Minnesota while being involved in multiple finance clubs, Camp Catanese, and slow pitch softball. Peter works at RW Baird as an Equity Research Analyst focusing on covering software stocks. Within the Metropolis, Peter was involved in OCF, Antiochian Village, a St. Mary’s Camp Counselor, a chanter at his parish, and a part of YAL Twin Cities. In Peter’s free time, he loves to golf, travel, hang out with his friends, and watch his favorite tv shows. Peter is looking forward to the YAL Chicago Conference this year!
Victoria Konstantinidis
Registration Committee
Meet one of our Registration Chairs, Victoria Konstantinidis!
Victoria originally attended Holy Trinity in Orlando, Florida where she was born and raised and has recently moved to Chicago. She is a proud Boilermaker that studied public health at Purdue University. She recently graduated from Indiana University McKinney School of Law and is now a defense attorney in the field of medical malpractice. Victoria enjoys being an active part of her parish community and bringing the young adults together. When she’s not working you can find her spending time with her family, traveling, golfing, or attending concerts. A fun fact about Victoria is her proficiency in four languages and her dad is from the Holy Land! Victoria is passionate about participating in YAL conferences across the country and is thrilled to contribute to the Chicago YAL conference registration committee!
Georgia Kotsinis
Registration Committee
Meet Georgia Kostinis, one of our Registration Chairs!
Georgia was born and raised in Glenview, IL growing up at St. Andrew’s Chicago. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Communications (specialization: Public Relations) with a minor in Spanish. During undergrad, Georgia played a key role in restarting the Boston city schools OCF. She also served on the YAL Chicago Executive Board for two years and previously co-chaired the Registration Committee for the 2023 YAL Chicago. Most recently, Georgia worked as the Marketing and Communications Associate for National Philoptochos in New York City and recently moved back to continue her career in Chicago! As a former Architecture Boat Tour Guide, she is passionate about the city’s tourism and the ways that the city can build community. As a cyclist, she is an advocate for better transit and bike safety. She also enjoys being a consumer of the arts - visiting museum and gallery exhibitions, attending comedy shows and concerts, or catching the newest arthouse film.
Tia Kotsiopoulos
Marketing Committee
Meet Tia Kotsiopoulos, one of our Marketing Chairs!
Tia was born and raised in Barrington, Illinois growing up at St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Palatine, IL. She graduated this past May from Loyola receiving her MBA in Marketing. She is very excited to be back for her second year on the YAL Chicago Conference board. Tia remains very busy as she is also the Treasurer for the National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA), on the executive board for YAL Chicago, and is a member of her parish’s YAL chapter. In her free time, Tia loves to travel, hang out with family and friends, or watch her favorite tv shows!
Yanni Motter
Service Project Committee
Meet one of our Service Project Chairs, Yanni Motter!
Yanni grew up in Des Plaines, IL. He is a second-generation Greek American, with roots stemming from Tripoli and Nestani. Most recently he graduated from Southern Illinois University, majoring in Automotive Technology and minoring in Workforce Education & Advanced Vehicle Systems/Diagnostics recently he began his career with Toyota Motors North America (TMNA) as a Management Trainee. Yanni has been involved in various organizations and activities within the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago such as being a counselor since 2019 for Fanari Summer Camp and his involvement with the Young Adult League of Chicago's executive board. He is currently the Regional Director of the Great Lakes for the National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA). Yanni is thrilled to be able to participate and help grow the YAL Board along with bringing people together through the faith.
Katherine Murphy
Programming Committee
Meet Katherine Murphy, one of our Programming Chairs!
Katherine is originally from St. Louis, MO growing up at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in her hometown. Katherine graduated from the University of Evansville receiving her Bachelor of Science in Public Health. In college, Katherine founded her university’s OCF chapter, was social director for her sorority Chi Omega, and president of her local Circle K chapter. Katherine has interned with the American Red Cross and Ronald McDonald House charities, and more recently interned with the Autism Society of Central Virginia. She currently works as a care coordinator at a St. Louis non-profit organization. Katherine was a Crossroads camper and was a part of the Ionian Village Staff. In her free time, Katherine likes to try local restaurants, attend festivals, and enjoy the outdoors. You can always find Katherine watching Gilmore Girls or cheering on her favorite sports team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Katherine is very excited to join the YAL Chicago Conference Board this year.
Katerina Papaioannou
Meet Katerina Papaioannou, one of our Speaker Chairs!
Kat is so excited to be on the speaker committee for a second year! She is a Social Sciences teacher and Cross Country coach at Niles North High School. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a major in history and minors in secondary education and psychology. At U of I, she was an OCF Illinois executive board member for 3 years and an HSA executive board member for 2. She attends St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Des Plaines where she is active in YAL and volunteers for Junior Olympics and VCS. She has worked with the metropolis through Fanari camp where she has been a counselor and a 5 week staff member. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending as much time outdoors as possible, playing with her cats, listening to Taylor Swift, and binging sitcoms.
Speaker Committee
Eleni Sakis
Service Project Committee
Meet Eleni, another one of our Service Project Chairs!
Eleni is from Antioch, IL, and grew up at St. Demetrios in Libertyville. She has served on the YAL Chicago conference board for two years. Eleni recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Media Arts and Cinema Studies with a minor in Recreation, Sports, and Tourism. Eleni also has certificates in Film Production and Sports Media. At U of I, Eleni was involved with her OCF chapter as the Vice President of Media, Good Morning Illini, and Illini Sports Night, and she was an intern for the Fighting Illini Sports Productions. Eleni was a camp counselor for three summer camps in the Greek community: Fanari, Metropolis of Boston Camp, and Saint Stephens. Of course, she was a participant in the Junior Olympics, as well as the Oratorical Festival. Eleni currently freelances her media skills and works as a tour guide at Miller Brewery in Wisconsin. In her free time, Eleni loves to create media, watch college sports, or travel anywhere (especially National Parks).
Amanda Sideris
Marketing Committee
Meet another one of our Marketing Chairs, Amanda Sideris!
Amanda grew up in Glenview, Illinois and resides there today. Amanda attends both Saints Peter and Paul and Saint George. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising with a minor in Visual Art and Design in May of 2022. Upon Graduation she got a design certificate from a small Creative Advertising School, Book180. Amanda now works at a PR agency, GOLIN, as an Associate Art Director. Within the Chicago Metropolis she works as the Communications Coordinator for Saints Peter and Paul. She’s honored and can’t wait to serve the Metropolis on the YAL Chicago Board.
Sia Tortorelis
Meet Sia Tortorelis, another one of our Registration Committee Chairs!
Sia grew up in the Minneapolis area, attending St.Mary's Greek Orthodox Church. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in Biology and in 2020 with a Masters in Science Education. She now teaches biology at Osseo Senior High in Osseo, Minnesota. Sia is currently serving as the President of Twin Cities YAL as well as being a member of the choir, and a church school teacher. She enjoys being involved at her parish and within the Twin Cities Orthodox community and is thrilled to be a part of the YAL Conference team at the Metropolis level!
Registration Committee
Kiriako Tsoukalas
Meeting another one of our Finance Chairs, Kiriako Tsoukalas!
Kiriako grew up in Northwest Indiana and is a member at St. George in Schererville. He graduated from Indiana University with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and from Northwestern University with an MS in Chemical and Biological Engineering. He now works for a startup company in Westmont. Kiriako has been heavily involved in the Greek Orthodox community from a young age. Some of his fondest memories include Junior Olympics and GOYA basketball. This is his second year as a part of the Finance Committee on the YAL board and he hopes to continue in his involvement in the Hellenic community. Over the summers, you can find Kiriako in Greece or under the souvlaki tent at the St. George Greek Fests!
Finance Committee
Nikoleta Vasilopoulos
Marketing Committee
Meet Nikoleta Vasilopoulos, one of our Marketing Chairs!
Nikoleta is a first year on the marketing committee for the 2024 YAL conference. She is from the northern suburbs of Chicago and is a steward of her parish, Holy Taxiarhai and Saint Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church of Niles, IL. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Community Health and is currently the manager of PREP Performance Center. Nikoleta spent her free time participating in Junior Olympics, GOYA, Fanari, and Ionian Village. Currently she is involved in her parish’s Philoptochos. Her love of sports brought her lead her to a career in the Physical Therapy industry and is also training high performing athletes! She is very excited for this year’s conference and to continue her work with the YAL committee.