A graduate of Northwestern and De Paul Universities in Chicago, Illinois with a Master of Arts degree in Education, Counseling Psychology and Human Service Administration, Cynthia A. Yannias has nearly 30 years of executive experience in non-profit management. Her areas of expertise range from day-to-day administration including supervision of program personnel, preparation of the annual budget and monitoring agency finances. She has extensive experience in fundraising and grant writing, grant management, new program development and public relations.

Based at hellenicare’s headquarters office in Chicago, IL as Program Director she is responsible for assisting Andrew A. Athens, President and Founder with program monitoring, grant writing and public relations. She works closely with the Vice President of Medical Affairs and the Regional Team members to ensure that hellenicare is meeting its program goals in each country. Mrs. Yannias is also responsible for interfacing with government and private grant organizations, report writing and presentations to the community at large.

Born in the village of Livad in Tsalka, Georgia, Dr. Roland Stamatov received his medical degree at the First Moscow Institute in Moscow, Russia in 1976. He completed his surgical residency at the Yuriev-Polski Hospital in 1981. Upon his return to Georgia in 1983, Dr. Stamatov was Chief of Surgery at the Tbilisi Clinical Hospital #5.

In 1996, after completing post-graduate work at the Rostov Medical Institute he wrote his dissertation on new examination methods for patients with gall bladder pathology. When hellenicare was initially launched as the Primary Health Care Initiative, Dr. Stamatov became Director of hellenicare’s Greek Medical Fund "Hippocrates" of Georgia. In 2003, he was promoted to Regional Medical Director. He is responsible for overseeing hellenicare’s in-country programs, administration, finances and personnel, developing new medical programs and public relations. As a skillful surgeon, Dr. Stamatov also performs surgery at hellenicare’s medical facility in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Ms. Papanidi is a graduate of the Tbilisi State University with degrees in Russian and Greek Philosophy. She is also a graduate of the Tacis Democracy Program of the Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis Institute of Social Affairs in Tbilisi. Ms. Papanidi received the first place prize at the University Student Conference in Literature in 1992. She is fluent in five languages including English and has worked as an interpreter for the American Georgian Company "Plimipcorp" International.

Ms. Papanidi is actively involved in the Hellenic community in the Republic of Georgia and has written a book of Greek Christmas poems, been the volunteer Director of the Greek Cultural Center, narrator for several videos and has been the head translator at the Greek newspapers in Georgia, "Georgia-Helleda" and "Greek Diaspora."

As Regional Coordinator, Alina Papanidi is responsible for assisting the Regional Medical Director with day-to-day operations, new program development, public relations and fundraising. Ms. Papanidi oversees the regional office in Tbilisi and is responsible for program reporting, recordkeeping and personnel policy procedures as well as special event planning.

Vladimir Shushanov has over 40 years of financial management experience. He is a graduate of the Kazan Financial and Economic Institute. Upon his graduation he taught economics at the Mari Agricultural College, while working as the Head of the Financial Department at the Mari Republican Union. He also was an in the Soviet Army where he was Head of Planning and Chief Accountant for several military departments. After retiring from military service, Mr. Shushanov worked as the Deputy Chief Accountant in the company "Minesltroi" in the Republic of Armenia. In 1977, he was promoted to Chief Accountant.

Mr. Shushanov returned to Georgia in 1979, where he continued his accounting career as the Chief Accountant for several organizations before becoming Regional Finance Manager of hellenicare’s in-country programs in 1997. As Regional Finance Manager, Mr. Shushanov was responsible for setting up all financial record keeping systems for all of hellenicare's programs in the countries of Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine. He developed a number reporting systems that have enabled hellenicare to maintain accurate accounting records in relation to local programs and projects. Working with in-country financial managers, Mr. Shushanov oversees the finances and accounting needs of hellenicare’s programs in Albania, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine.

It may not have been a coincidence that Dr. Peter Khadjidis became a cardiologist having been born on Valentine’s Day, February 14 in Dmanisi, Georgia. Dr. Khadjidis is one of the leading cardiologists and medical researchers in the Republic of Georgia. A graduate of the Tbilisi State Medical Institute, he was awarded the Bronze Medal of All-Union Exhibition of National Economy of Moscow in 1983. He was also winner of the Georgian Youth Award in Science and Technology in 1984.

Dr. Khadjidis joined the medical staff of the Greek Medical Fund Hippocrates in 1997, becoming Medical Director in 2003. He continues his academic career as a professor and senior researcher at the Institute of Cardiology in Georgia. Dr. Khadjidis is the author of more than 60 scientific articles dedicated to the study and treatment of heart disease.

A graduate of the Donetsk Medical University in Donetsk, Ukraine in 1989, Dr. Alexander Lazarenko became Medical Director of hellenicare’s programs in southeastern Ukraine in 2004. Prior to taking this position, Dr. Lazarenko was the Chief of Staff at the Central Hospital in Volodarskoye. His medical training is in internal medicine where he has been a physician on staff at the Mariupol City Hospital #1. Dr. Lazarenko has also worked as Regional Chief Physician for the hospitals in the towns of Klachik and Volodarskoye, Ukraine.

In additional to providing medical, Dr. Lazarenko was responsible for improving outpatient services in a number of village health posts. His efforts led to a decrease in waiting times in seeing medical specialists. Dr. Lazarenko’s medical expertise in the delivery health care services as well as administrative experience have helped hellenicare develop its program both in primary care as well as in breast cancer screening. During his tenure as Medical Director of hellenicare programs in Ukraine, Dr. Lazarenko has streamlined operations, provided new training opportunities for medical staff members and developed a number of public health education programs for women.

Dr. Simon Zakharov was born in Alaverdi, Armenia where hellenicare’s programs in Armenia are based. After completing his college education in Kirovakan in 1977, Dr. Zakharov worked in the mines in Alaverdi until 1987. In 1987, he enrolled in the Yerevan State Medical University. Upon completing his medical education in 1995 as a surgeon, he became part of the medical staff at the Alaverdi State Hospital, where he continues to perform surgery.

In 2001, when hellenicare began its medical and humanitarian programs in the Lori Marz region, Dr. Zakharov became Medical Director of the Greek Medical Fund "Hippocrates" in Armenia. As Medical Director, Dr. Zakharov has been able expand its medical programs to include the operation of nurses’ stations and a mobile medical unit as well as having completed several small reconstruction projects in the Lori Marz region.

Born in the Republic of Georgia and a graduate of the Veterinary Institute of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia, Dimitri Djagov has worked as a nurse in the military hospital for the Soviet Army, opened his own animal husbandry program in Greece and been warehouse manager for several businesses in Georgia and Greece before becoming Regional Logistic Manager of hellenicare.

Mr. Djagov oversees all of hellenicare’s in-country commodity programs, insuring that commodity received in all three countries is properly cleared by customs, stored in hellenicare’s warehouses and distributed to hellenicare’s medical facilities as well as to other medical programs who have an agreement with hellenicare to receive medical commodity. He supervises in-country warehouse managers and works closely with in-country medical directors to ensure that hellenicare’s medical commodity is properly received and distributed according to prepared guidelines.

George Mutafyan received his undergraduate degree from the Tbilisi State University in 1992 with a major in engineering and mathematics. Upon graduation, Mr. Mutafyan worked for the Ministry of Education in Georgia in the Department of Modeling Mathematics, where he worked on developing new curriculum for elementary and secondary math education.

After leaving the Ministry of Education in 1996, he worked as a Data Specialist with the international organization CARE, developing new record keeping systems for the tracking of commodity distribution. Mr. Mutafyan joined the regional team of hellenicare in 2003, where he began as an assistant to the Regional Logistic Manager and computer specialist. Working with the Regional Finance Manager, Mr. Mutafyan developed a computerized internal financial system as well as a new computer program for recording patient services. He also developed a commodity tracking system to accountant for medicines and medical supplies received as part of hellenicare's humanitarian assistance program. Working closely with regional team members, Mr. Mutafyan has helped to enhance recording keeping and data flow information systems in all countries where hellenicare programs are in operation.

Nino Asad is a graduate of the Kutaisi State Technical University having received a Bachelors of Arts degree in 2000 with honors in English Studies. She has worked as a translator for the marketing department at the Kutaisi Autoplant. In 2003, she completed her Master’s Degree in English at the Kutaisi State Technical University and worked for the University as a translator and lecturer at the Foreign Language Institute before joining hellenicare as Regional Office Manager in 2004.

Concurrently in 2003 and 2004, Mrs. Asad held the position of International Relations Specialist at the Department of International Relations of Kutaisi State Technical University. As an International Relations Specialist, she interfaced with foreign diplomats acting as a translator for University officials. She also coordinated special meetings and events at the University. As Regional Office Manager, Mrs. Asad is responsible for coordinating administrative support services for the regional office based in Tbilisi, Georgia. She works closely with Dr. Roland Stamatov, Regional Medical Director and Ms. Papanidi, Regional Coordinator as well as with other regional team members.