In July of 2017, James accepted the position of President/C.E.O. of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. He brings nearly 25 years of non-profit experience to his new role. Serving the needs of nearly 200,000 students in the nation’s 11th largest school district, the Education Foundation raises funds and awards grants to teachers to support classroom excellence and innovation.
Born and raised in Hammond, Indiana, James S. Gavrilos graduated as Valedictorian from Hellenic College where he received his B.A. in Pre-Theology in 1986. In 1989, James received his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, where he again graduated as Valedictorian. After nearly 17 years in Parish Ministry, James transitioned to the Non-Profit world serving as Director of Development for The Haven, a foster home for boys in Boca Raton. During his three years as C.E.O. of Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches, James oversaw the agency’s first accreditation, and oversaw the creation of the world’s only “mobile” Biz-Town. In 2010, James accepted the position of Executive Director of Boca Helping Hands. In the next seven years, he oversaw that agency’s explosive growth, during which time BHH added a medical and dental clinic and built a job training center, all while earning seven consecutive Four Star Ratings from Charity Navigator, along with two consecutive years with a perfect score of 100, on Charity Navigators new rating scale.
Knighted by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 2011, “Sir” James Gavrilos was also selected to attend the prestigious Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management at Harvard Business School in 2015. The proud father of four children, James is an avid golfer and enjoys all sports. But his two passions (outside of work and family) are opera and Arsenal Soccer (of the English Premier League). He is hoping to combine his interests by writing an opera about Arsenal Soccer. Regrettably, with Arsenal’s recent history…it will be a tragedy.
