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Consulate shines light on Greeks

It's no accident that the newest Greek consulate is in Tampa: "We saw there was a need in Florida," the consul general says.

By ALEXANDRA ZAYAS
Published October 3, 2005

TAMPA - Andreas Psycharis already feels at home in his new office, perched eight stories above Bayshore Boulevard in the Bank of Tampa building.

Sunlight shimmers on the blue bay waters below and cascades through the huge windows of his airy suite, illuminating 19th and 20th century Greek seascapes on the walls.

"Water is a part of our lives in Greece. They use the sea as a means of business but also as a means of pleasure," Psycharis said.

Though Psycharis was born in Athens, his family originated in Pilos, a Greek fishing town in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula.

Now, his door is open, and the consul general is ready to share Greece with Florida and nearby states.

One of nine Greek consulates in the United States, the Tampa consulate opened in April after 10 years of planning and research by the Greek government.

"We saw there was a need in Florida," Psycharis said. "It's an up-and-coming state, it grows by 1,130 people per day and the Greeks wanted it here."

Florida is a gateway for Greeks traveling into the United States, and it has been for centuries.

Since the first Greek communities were established in St. Augustine at the turn of the 19th century and in Tarpon Springs in 1906, Greek culture has become intertwined with Florida's history.

The 2000 Census estimated that about 77,000 Floridians are of Greek ancestry, with nearly one-third of them in the bay area. But using data from the Atlanta consulate, Psycharis puts the statewide number at about 150,000.

"They're spread all over the state," Psycharis said. "We have a saying in Greece: "Every rock you turn, you'll find a Greek underneath."'

The main concentration of Florida Greeks is in the Tampa Bay area. Psycharis estimated that between 45,000 and 50,000 live in the four-county area.

Greeks crowded in front of Tarpon Springs televisions last week to watch their national basketball team win the gold medal for this year's EuroBasket championship.

A 900-pound bronze statue of Theodoros, the first known Greek to arrive in America in 1528, stands at Pier 60 Park in Clearwater.

Florida guidebooks consider the Feast of the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs one of the state's major attractions, and the Tampa Museum of Art hosts one of the largest collections of Greek antiquities in the Southeast.

"It speaks volumes for the population we have that we finally have that leadership close to home," Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Billiris said.

And Psycharis can't wait to be that leader for Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, the three states his consulate serves.

He has three goals for his new consulate : "To make sure the Greek population is as happy as possible, for the city of Tampa and greater Tampa area to be very happy that they have a consulate - we both stand to gain from this thing - and to go to the supermarket and see more Greek products."

Apart from promoting trade with Greece, Psycharis has several duties as a consulate.

He signs birth and death certificates for citizens of Greece in the United States, issues Greek passports and visas, comes to the aid of Greek travelers in need and even has the power to preside at weddings, his favorite job as a consul general.

"It's something very unique," Psycharis said. "At least in Greece, only priests and mayors do that. It's very honoring having two people saying, "This is a special moment in my life. We would like you to do it."'

The Tampa consulate hasn't been too busy yet, because people are slowly learning that it exists. Psycharis is still trying to get a feel for the needs of the Greek community and hopes to have a full staff of seven or eight by the end of the year.

The consul general has held diplomatic posts in Athens, Greece; Cyprus; London and Washington, D.C., and already, he's getting a good vibe from his new home.

He enjoyed "Bodies, the Exhibition" at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry and considers the city culturally bold.

"Not many cities would do that. It's quite good. I'd want to see that exhibition in Greece," he said. "The more you learn, the more you progress as individuals, as a community."

He ran in last year's Gasparilla race, while enjoying a slower-paced lifestyle with his family on Harbour Island.

"The good weather makes people easygoing," he said. "Tampa has been very welcoming, and we enjoy being here."

--Alexandra Zayas can be reached at 813 226-3354 or azayas@sptimes.com

[Last modified October 3, 2005, 01:28:48]