Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY
Welcome to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church located in the heart of Akron, Ohio. This thriving parish is the spiritual home to 500 families. We welcome you to our worship and to our many activities, which you'll find on this website.
OUR CLERGY
Rev. Father Dean Kokanos
Presiding Priest
Father Dean Kokanos was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended college and graduate school, earning a Master of Music Degree from Carnegie Mellon University. After pursuing a career in classical music, Fr. Dean attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology where he earned the Master of Divinity degree with High Distinction.
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Following seminary Father Dean was ordained to the Diaconate and Priesthood by His Eminence, Metropolitan SAVAS of Pittsburgh and assigned to be the Assistant Priest at the Annunciation Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio.
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In 2017, Father Dean was assigned to be the Parish Priest of the Presentation of Christ “Ypapanti” Church in East Pittsburgh. Under Father Dean’s leadership, the parish founded an outreach ministry which included an on-site, year-round food pantry, hot meal distribution, and clothing pantry, as well as various seasonal outreach events and thousands of dollars a year for emergency relief. The parish also completed a major iconography project in the Altar and Narthex.
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In September of 2022 Father Dean was assigned to be the Presiding Priest of the Annunciation. Since then, and by God's grace, the parish has increased its monthly on-site food distribution program to include a second monthly food pantry, two monthly hot meal programs, a clothing pantry, a monthly laundry assistance program, a weekly off-site feeding program, seasonal outreach events including an annual Thanksgiving Meal that feeds over 1200, a Christmas toy drive, and various programs in cooperation with local charities and agencies.​
​In addition to his studies at Holy Cross, Fr. Dean is a Board Certified Chaplain and holds an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising from the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving at Indiana University.
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Father Dean serves as the Spiritual Advisor to the Metropolis of Pittsburgh parishes of the Mid-Eastern Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians (MEFGOX).
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Father Dean is married to Presbytera Gabrielle, also of Pittsburgh. They have two children. In his free time, Father Dean enjoys sailing his “super snark” boat on the lakes of Northeastern Ohio and watching Pittsburgh Steelers football.
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To email Fr. Dean, click here.
Rev. Father Nick Manuel
Assistant Priest
Fr. Nick was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1993. He is the youngest of four children. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia at the Cathedral of Sts. Constantine and Helen. Upon graduating High School in 2011 he attended Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville, Virginia. There, he received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with a focus in Psychology. Following graduation at Hampden-Sydney, he sojourned north to Boston, and enrolled in Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology to follow his call to the priesthood.
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In 2017, he met his wife, Demetria, of Saint Louis, Missouri, and married her two years later in January, 2019. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at Annunciation on December 5, 2019 by His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh. Dn. Nick and Demi had their first child, John, in November of 2019!
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On March 15, 2020 Fr. Nick was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh at Annunciation. In March of 2021, Fr. Nick and Presbytera Demetria welcomed their second child Eleutheria into the world! In June of 2023 Fr. Nick and Presbytera Demetria welcomed baby Sophronia to the Manuel family.
Fr. Nick is grateful and humbled to be here in Akron and serve at this vibrant and active community! Glory to God for all things!
Rev. Deacon Mark Studebaker
Deacon
Dn. Mark was born and raised in Indiana. He was brought up in the Disciples of Christ Church, where he first made his public profession of faith in Christ and was Baptized.
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Dn. Mark graduated from Valparaiso University and from Indiana School of Medicine with an M.D. degree. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Akron City Hospital and a fellowship in Clinical Nutrition at the Medical College of Georgia. He practiced internal medicine in various settings in Northeast Ohio for ten years. For the last 20 years, he has been a medical director with a national health insurance company here in northeast Ohio.
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Dn. Mark has been married to Nancy for 38 years, and they have four children and five grandchildren together. Together Dn. Mark and Nancy spent their first thirteen years together in various evangelical churches. However, God had other plans, and after a life-changing six-month journey, they were both Chrismated in the Orthodox Church. Dn. Mark completed a 2-1/2 year Late-Vocations program with the Cleveland Deanery of the Orthodox Church in America. He was ordained to the Holy Diaconate by the hand of Right Rev. Job, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest, in December, 1997. He has been assigned to Annunciation Church since May, 2002.
CHURCH COMMUNITY SUPPORT STAFF
Paula Chotlos
Office Manager
Paula Chotlos was born and raised in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, where she attended John F. Kennedy Christian High School.
After graduating high school she spent one year at Penn State University.
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Upon reflecting on her first year at college she decided to make a change and move to New York.
In 1986, she moved to New York to attend Pace University in White Plains, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. After graduating she stayed in New York and in 2011, she moved to Ohio to help take care of family.
Chad Hay
I was born during a blizzard in January 1963. My parents divorced when I was young, so my brother and I bounced back and forth between our parents. I discovered I enjoyed working with my hands as I worked remodeling jobs with my stepfather. In 1983 I started refinishing furniture, which led to furniture repair. I worked for several furniture stores making repairs on furniture in the customers’ home.
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I fell in love with a Greek girl who led me to the church. I was baptized as Raphael on August 29th, 1993, and on September 12th I married Basiliki. We were blessed with two daughters.
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I served on the Parish Council for 9 years before accepting the Sexton position upon Niko Filippousis’ retirement. In March 2020 I accepted the position of church custodian.
2024 Parish Council
President: Christine Salem
Vice President: John Matheos
Treasurer: Penny Dickos
Secretary: Christopher Morris
Past President: Denis Van Doros
Christina Barry
Jonathon Bollas
Maria Detorakis
Michael Detorakis
Bill Farmakidis
Karen Horattas
Christina Manousos
Mary O’Connor
Nick Stavrakis
Gus Tsesmelis
Maria Williams
Elena Economou-Zwisler