My mom and dad are second-generation Greek-Americans who instilled in our middle-class family the values of hard work, self-reliance, and service, exemplified by my father's tenure as a U.S. Marine who was stationed at Camp David under President Truman.
The Canary Islands offer special incentives to companies looking at potential filming locations, so it was only logical for me to help the local government make connections with major U.S. film studios like Universal, Fox, Sony, Disney, Paramount, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, CBS, Viacom, Comcast, HBO, Netflix, Warner Brothers etc.
Spain is an important historical ally of the United States, and if confirmed, I will add to our more than 200 years of diplomatic history to further our shared interests.
I say I just happen to be gay. It's just like everything else - I've been on the board of The Humane Society, and I'm a vegetarian, but these are just some of the things that define me as a person. They don't define me in general.
Coming from the industry and maintaining contacts with producers and directors, I am very well aware that costs associated with movie production are a major factor in determining where films get made.
I want to help find opportunities for people to become active participants in their communities.
At the end of the day, what I have is the power to give a louder voice to people who have issues, questions and problems.
You can have all of the laws and protection in place, but how do you get rid of homophobia? This is something that the U.S. is going to have to deal with.
I'm an ambassador 24 hours a day.
I have a direct line with Obama. It's a crucial link. And I can put Spain in the spotlight.
Prince Felipe is the best ambassador for Spain: I have already told Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, minister of foreign affairs, that the prince should travel to the U.S. more often.
As ambassador, I am focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment between the United States and Spain.
One of the roles of a U.S. ambassador - anywhere in the world - is to promote bilateral trade and investment.
A diplomatic mission, like a company, is comprised of multiple departments, all of which must be relied upon to move business forward.
At HBO, my leadership had to inspire and gain the respect of employees in a large company with over 100 external business relationships in dozens of countries.
No party or event is without a reason. This is how we foster new relationships, open doors, and launch new ideas that create business opportunities, investments, and jobs in the U.S. and Spain.
My passion for service came from my parents, and my community involvement began at a very young age, when I volunteered with the local Chamber of Commerce in Lowell, MA to help revitalize our city.
I believe that my experience as an HBO executive responsible for global marketing and communications should serve our country well as we tell America's story in Spain and Andorra.
