With a new museum and hospital underway, and with plans for a new airport, the city of Sparta is undergoing dramatic changes. In this wide-ranging conversation, UCLA SNF Hellenic Center Director Sharon Gerstel and Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Associate Dean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning, chat with Mayor Petros Doukas about his city—its strong roots in a proud ancient past and its exciting plans for the future. This conversation will touch on the challenges of governance, large infrastructure plans, partnerships with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, managing traffic, and the 2,500-year anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae.

Dr. Petros Doukas, Mayor of Sparta, holds an MBA from Columbia University and a PhD in Economics from New York University. He is the author of Modern Economic and Management Theories and Classical Greek Thought and has published numerous collections of poetry. He has vast experience in finance and has served as a Citibank executive in New York, a Vice President, Country Head & Treasurer of Citibank Greece, and Chairman of Board of Directors of Heracles, Ericsson Greece, Pepsico Greece, and Nova PayTV Group. He is also President of Capital Partners SA, Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors. From 2004-2009 he represented the Attica Region as an elected Member of Parliament and also served as Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2019 he was elected Mayor of Sparta.

This event is co-sponsored by the Pan-Laconian Federation of the United States and Canada.

For a Zoom link, RSVP here.